Experience in recent years, following the decisions by the Quebec Court of Appeal, shows that the sentence is higher. The courts are not reluctant to impose sentences of four or five or 13 years. I think that a sentence of two years does not reflect what the courts have decided, at this point. The courts impose much more severe sentences, in a majority of cases, where the circumstances are all taken into consideration. The fact that there will no longer be any discretion concerns us, however. Imagine a case where a person played only a minimal role and was convicted under section 21 of being an accomplice who aided or abetted the offence, but received no personal benefit from it. We are not talking about any benefit someone may have received, we are talking about the total amount. I am very concerned about the wording. It talks about
“the total value of the subject-matter of the offences”.
That really can be anything.