Mr. Speaker, I think my predecessor made it plain, as I have, that those conditional sentencing provisions were not to apply to serious violent offences.
We then amended the legislation to ensure that the courts are instructed to take into account the sentencing principles of deterrence and denunciation. There have been some lower court decisions that have caused me concern as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Those cases are presently before appeal courts and we are awaiting the outcome.