Thanks, Chair.
As I indicated in my last intervention, the basis of NDP-2, and NDP-3 and others that are following, is the analysis conducted by Professor Sylvestre in her empirical work. The number of adults placed in interim detention is significantly more than the number of persons sentenced to imprisonment in Canada.
The high interim detention rates have a disproportionate effect, she said, on groups like aboriginals and people with mental health issues. The decision to detain is first made, of course, by the police, and directly influences the continuation of the proceedings. Indeed, a detained person who appears before court is much more likely to plead guilty in the earliest opportunity, the research shows.
The purpose of NDP-2 is to address when a person may be denied from release only if they pose a real and substantial risk to the safety and security of any person—a victim or a witness. It thus brings clarity to the term “reasonable grounds”, and that is the purpose in doing so.
I would commend her work and the amendment to the committee.