Thank you for the question.
That's why one recommendation of ours is to somehow define what a repeat violent offender is and to create that framework that adjudicators presiding over these bail hearings can operate within, so we are addressing that specific concern.
I want to emphasize that we are talking about repeat violent offenders. We're not trying to suggest that we should take a blanket approach to anyone who's been charged with an offence in a bail proceeding.
I agree with my friend that underlying all of this.... That's why you'll see from my submissions that I'm careful not to use the term “bail reform” or point to one specific change that will resolve the problem. Underlying all of this, I think, is a resource challenge. It's a resource challenge in the courts and I think it's a resource challenge for the police when it comes to following up on people who are released on bail with conditions and then breach those conditions. It's not having the capacity track those individuals to make sure something's done about what they're doing in the community.
I think it's about defining what a repeat violent offender is. I think it's creating a framework around that, so we can give some guidance to justices of the peace or judges who are presiding over these bail hearings. It's about providing the resources so the Crown can properly prepare for these cases, so we are using the existing provisions more effectively and not releasing people like you described.
Every police service in most major cities across this country can provide you with those same kinds of examples. My home service is in Vancouver. I was having conversations in advance of this appearance. Vancouver can also provide you with a list of similar examples where people were released on bail, offended, were before a judge again, were released on bail and offended again. That's what we're trying to address.