moved for leave to introduce Bill C-253, an act to to amend the Young Offenders Act to transfer older offenders who commit violent offences to adult court, to limit the application of alternative measures, to allow for certain young offenders to be designated as dangerous offenders, to establish public safety as a dominant consideration in the application of the law respecting young offenders, to remove privacy provisions and to make certain other amendments.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of rising today to reintroduce my private member's bill amending the Young Offenders Act. I drafted and presented the bill during the last parliament, many months before the justice minister introduced a youth justice act.
My private member's bill resulted from the testimony and written submissions given to the justice committee from key stakeholders in the field of youth justice who persuasively argued for substantive and meaningful changes to the Young Offenders Act. Numerous witnesses made it very apparent to the justice standing committee during its 1996-97 cross-country hearings that they wanted meaningful legislation in which the protection of society was a priority.
My bill makes the protection of society the first and guiding principle of the criminal law as it pertains to youth. I sincerely hope that my bill is drawn and makes it to the floor of the House during this sitting of parliament.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)