Certainly I think the three provisions that jump out from Bill C-4—the provision in proposed paragraph 3(1)(b) on “diminished moral blameworthiness”, the pretrial detention provision in proposed subsection 29(2), and the place of detention in proposed subsection 76(2)—are what I would call clarifications of the original intent and approach of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They are learning from practice in areas where things needed to be improved and where there was clear evidence to support a change.
The issue that concerns the advocates is that all of the other things that have been layered on top of these are a concern, and that these smaller issues may be lost in some bigger consequences that may target and increase incarceration for vulnerable youth.