Evidence of meeting #53 for Justice and Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was data.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
5:15 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I have a document here entitled Police-Reported Crime Statistics in Canada, 2009.
Does it concern all crimes committed, both by young offenders and adults?
5:15 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
That report is our annual Juristat on police-reported crime in Canada. There is a section that talks about police-reported crime in general, police-reported crime for adults, and police-reported crimed for youth. So I would refer you...throughout the article there are references to the youth population and specific tables as well that include simply the youth.
5:15 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Now I'm going to go to the document entitled Youth Court Statistics 2008/2009.
There has been a 23% decline in cases handled by the youth courts in Canada since 2002-2003. Is that correct?
March 9th, 2011 / 5:20 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
Since the introduction of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, there has been a 23% decline in cases completed in youth court in Canada.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I know the question isn't for you, but rather the people opposite.
Why are we discussing an amendment to a bill when there has been a 23% decline? It's the same thing for violent crimes. According to the statistics on page 4 of the text entitled Background Statistics Related to Youth Criminal Justice in Canada, which you presented to us, I conclude that violent crime has remained stable. Is that what the red line means?
5:20 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
The violent crime is the red line. It has remained relatively stable in Canada since 1999.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
On page 5 of Youth Court Statistics 2008/2009, it states: "In 2008-2009, nearly half of the cases with custody and supervision had terms of one month or less (48%)." Mr. Petit must be reassured since that includes Quebec. It includes all crime, including violent crime. Everything is there, Mr. Petit. It's It's unfortunate that you don't know how to read. You should go and see what's written on those pages.
5:20 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
That is all youth crime that came to the attention of the courts. So it is youth crime where an individual was accused and moved into the court system, and in 2008-09—that one fiscal year—nearly half of cases with custody and supervision had terms of one month or less.
5:20 p.m.
Chief and Advisor, Courts Program, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
That represents the most serious sentence for the most serious offence in the case, and each case can include multiple charges.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
As a lawyer, I understood that this was about the most serious crimes. Page 25 is extremely interesting, with all due respect once again for Mr. Petit, who has not read it. In the statistical tables on youth courts on pages 25 and 26, we see that, between 2002 and 2009 in Quebec, as well as in the other provinces, there was a constant decline in cases completed in youth courts. That amounted to a total decline of 23.4% and cases involving violent crimes.
5:20 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
Could you let us know the table number you're referring to?
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
5:20 p.m.
Director, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
At the top of the page, which is it?
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
At the top, it's Table 1. Pardon me. These are Tables 1 and 2. There was a 23.4% decline between 2002-2003 and 2008-2009, including violent crimes.
5:20 p.m.
Chief and Advisor, Courts Program, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
That's correct. It includes all cases.
5:20 p.m.
Chief and Advisor, Courts Program, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
It includes all cases—Criminal Code and other federal statutes. So it would also include CDSA offences and others.
5:25 p.m.
Chief and Advisor, Courts Program, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada
CDSA is the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It's good to see you again, Ms. McAuley.
The last time you were before our committee you presented to us on Bill C-54. The question I'm going to ask is relevant to the bill we're studying today. Your presentation included a topic called, “Most serious sentence in sexual assault cases in adult criminal courts, Canada, 2000/2001 to 2008/2009”. It showed a stark increase in custodial sentences after approximately 2005.
My understanding is that the former Liberal government had instituted a number of mandatory minimum penalties for some sexual offences around 2005 or just prior to that. I'm not sure of the exact timing. Am I correct that there was a significant increase in custodial sentences? Perhaps you could let us know what you understand the costs of those increased custodial sentences to be. Were the projected cost increases of those custodial sentences presented by the former government at the time, which introduced this legislation in Parliament?
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
I have a point of clarification. I have a question I'm sure Mr. Norlock will be able to answer. Were the minimum mandatory penalties instituted by the previous Liberal government for sex-related offences for adult crimes?
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Yes, they were adult crimes. As I say, the reason—
