Canada’s premiers have written to the prime minister calling for an overhaul of the bail system following the murder of a woman in Surrey, British Columbia.
Tori Dunn, 30, was murdered in her home on June 16. Her death sparked widespread mourning in the Metro Vancouver suburbs.
The suspect arrested on suspicion of murder, Adam Troy Mann, had been released from prison just days before the fatal assault, despite having a lengthy criminal history and currently facing criminal charges in an unrelated robbery case.
In the wake of Dunn’s murder and what provincial premiers say is a trend of “repeat offenders and violent criminals being released into our communities without due consideration,” they are calling on Ottawa to overhaul the bail system.
In particular, provincial and territorial leaders want the federal government to consider bail reform Bill C-48, which was passed earlier this year.
The letter said the reforms enacted have failed to prevent violent criminals from endangering public safety and that the federal government should review bail data since the bill was enacted.
“Police should not have to pursue the same offender three or four times because of an inadequate bail system,” the letter said. “This is not only a waste of police resources, but also an obstacle to public safety.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby said at a separate news conference Monday that the letter grew out of a federal council meeting in Halifax last week and follows a similar letter sent last year.
“[The letter is] “We are asking in a very forthright way to consider implementing new bail laws,” Eby said.
“They put it in place to address a gap that clearly has arisen and to see if there is a way to work with the judiciary to ensure that the law is implemented as intended.”
CBC News has reached out to Public Safety Canada about this incident.
Bill had promised to tighten bail rules.
British Columbia’s Attorney General Niki Sharma previously said prosecutors had argued Mann should remain in prison.
The reason he was released on bail in the robbery case is protected by a publication ban.
But politicians and Dunn’s family have questioned how he was granted bail in the context of Bill C-48, which would introduce new provisions to deal with repeat violent offenders.
The new rules shift the burden of proof to the defense to justify release from prison if a person accused of a serious crime involving violence or weapons has been convicted of the same standard crime within the past five years.
