Mr. Speaker, the issue of criminal responsibility in cases of extreme intoxication has been receiving a lot of attention lately.
Nicole Hilliard from Surrey wrote the following:
I am sure you are already familiar with the man from Alberta who went on a 30-hour drinking binge, then beat his wife up and was acquitted due to his mental state.
I ask: "Did anyone force this man to consume a bottle of rye, vodka, and several bottles of beer?"
If someone consumes too much alcohol, gets behind the wheel of a car, then kills someone, you can guarantee that no court in Canada would decide to acquit that person based on his or her drinking.
If this law is not changed we will see more and more individuals acquitted because criminals in Canada have avoided responsibility time and again thanks to the outdated criminal justice system. Laws like this one are completely unacceptable and insulting.
Reformers will continue to stand up for the rights of victims and push for changes to our justice system.