Latest news with #youthoffenders
Globe and Mail
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Politics Insider: Canada's Supreme Court tightens rules for youth offender sentencing
Hello and welcome to Politics Insider. Let's take a look at what happened this week. Canada's Supreme Court has made it more difficult for judges to sentence youth offenders convicted of serious crimes, such as first-degree murder, as adults for their actions. David Ebner reports that, in two related decisions today, the top court provided added detail on how the law should be interpreted by the lower courts. In Canada, few young people are convicted of such serious crimes, and thereafter sentenced as adults, but the decisions are still likely to represent important precedents in how lower courts decide these cases in the future. In the primary ruling written by Justice Nicholas Kasirer, in a 7-2 majority, the top court said the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a young person does not merit the presumption of diminished blame for their crime on account of their youth. Also this week, a landmark meeting between Mark Carney and First Nations leaders ended with a divergence of views on display that signalled a long road ahead for the Prime Minister's plan to fast-track major projects. Emily Haws and Stephanie Levitz report that some leaders emerged with a sense that Carney had listened thoughtfully to their points of view. Others said the meeting was too disorganized and last minute to be considered meaningful dialogue in response to the central concern: whether First Nations rights will be respected and protected alongside the implementation of Bill C-5. The law requires consultation with Indigenous peoples to determine which projects would be deemed in the national interest, and to develop the conditions under which chosen projects could proceed. Canada Post union calls on employees to reject latest offer: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the agreement would erode job security and pension benefits in the long-run and expand Canada Post's part-time workforce at the expense of full-time jobs. Army removes commanding officer after alleged racist, sexual social-media posts by soldiers: Army commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright said he was taking steps to address the 'inappropriate behaviour' of Canadian Army members involved in the 'Blue Hackle Mafia' Facebook group. China says Canada's steel crackdown violates WTO rules: The Chinese embassy in Ottawa criticized duties Canada slapped on Chinese imported steel this week, saying they violate World Trade Organization rules and disrupt the global trade order. Ontario Progressive Conservatives schedule convention for the same time as Poilievre's leadership review: The duelling conventions highlight the growing distance between the two parties that was laid bare during the recent federal election. Ottawa looking at ways to `kickstart' housing market, Housing Minister says: 'We've got to look at how to best support and intervene where needed,' Gregor Robertson told The Globe and Mail, responding to a downturn in the residential real-estate sector. Documents used to assess asylum cases fail to account for Trump's edicts, advocates say: Lawyers representing refugee claimants and migrants facing deportation from Canada are calling for an urgent update for the official package of documents on conditions in the U.S. Ottawa's massive defence spending set to transform industry: The federal government's focus on military spending presents an opportunity for major new lines of business and lucrative contracts. Alberta Premier dismisses report finding province complicated Jasper wildfire response: Today, Danielle Smith played down findings from the report, which was commissioned by the municipality of Jasper and examined perspectives from firefighters and other people involved in the effort against the wind-whipped conflagrations that devastated at least one-third of the buildings in the town. B.C. Premier shakes up cabinet: David Eby says this week's cabinet changes, which include former housing minister Ravi Kahlon taking over as jobs minister, are a strategic shift in order to focus on jobs and the economy. New Business Council VP: Theo Argitis, the former Ottawa bureau chief for Bloomberg News, has joined the Business Council of Canada as a senior vice president of policy. Most recently, he was editor-at-large at The Hub, a digital news outlet. Minister on the Road: Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is in the South African city of Durban today, concluding two days of meetings of G20 and G7 finance ministers and central bank governors. Also along for the meetings: Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem. Premiers meet: Canada's premiers and territorial leaders are meeting in the town of Huntsville, about 200 kilometres north of Toronto, next week. Members of the Council of the Federation will gather from Monday to Wednesday. Items on the agenda include Canada-U.S. relations, national security and sovereignty. Prime Minister Mark Carney is also set to join the gathering on Tuesday, making it a meeting of first ministers. New government rep in Senate: Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed former Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Moreau, now a senator, as Government Representative in the Senate, replacing Marc Gold, who retired from the Senate last month after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Who was the first leader of the Green Party of Canada? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer. A shrinking population is hardly what the country needs right now When a wildfire threatened my hometown, I realized the places you love can disappear in an instant Got a news tip that you'd like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@ Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop. The answer to today's question: Trevor Hancock, a public-health physician and professor emeritus at the School of Public Health at the University of Victoria. Under Hancock's leadership, the party ran a total 60 candidates in the 1984 federal election. This was the election that saw Brian Mulroney lead the Progressive Conservatives to winning the most seats in Canadian political history - 211 in a Commons with 281 in total. The Greens did not win any seats, and earned 0.21 per cent of the vote.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- CTV News
Supreme Court sets standard for prosecutors seeking adult sentences for youth
The Supreme Court of Canada is seen, Wednesday, August 10, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has established a standard Crown prosecutors must meet when they are seeking adult sentences for youth offenders. The court says they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the youth has the developmental age and capacity for moral judgment of an adult. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, youth have what is known as diminished moral culpability. The onus is on Crown prosecutors to prove that principle doesn't apply to a specific offender. The Supreme Court was reviewing two Ontario cases in which youth offenders were sentenced as adults. It upheld one of those cases and overturned the other. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
ABC News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Tasmanian Liberals look at reversing legal principle in youth offender crackdown
The Tasmanian Liberals will look at reversing a long-standing legal principle that is intended to be a barrier against children unnecessarily entering the criminal justice system. Felix Ellis — who was the police minister until the election was called — has floated the potential of reversing the burden of proof in the "doli incapax" principle as part of the review of youth justice laws. Doli incapax means "incapable of crime", requiring that prosecutors prove that children aged 10 to 14 charged with a criminal offence have a full understanding of the moral wrongfulness of their actions. It is a recognition that children generally have a lesser-developed sense of moral wrongness than adults. Mr Ellis said the Liberals would look at reversing the principle, so that defence lawyers would instead need to prove that the child did not have a full understanding of the moral wrongfulness of their actions. He described the principle as a "legal loophole" and said it meant youth offenders had "escaped accountability". "One of the very key areas that we are looking at strongly, is reversing the onus and burden of proof for doli incapax," Mr Ellis said. "What we are seeking to do with this review is to ensure that we are protecting the community, and to make sure that the doli incapax principle is still fit for purpose." He said there had been a "shift" in this burden of proof in recent years — although the principle is explicitly written into Tasmania's criminal code. It was also upheld by a High Court decision in 2016. In 2022, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute recommended that the presumption of doli incapax be retained. The child sexual abuse commission of inquiry also noted that doli incapax may not be protecting children enough against "the harmful effects of the criminal justice processes". Tasmania's Commissioner for Children and Young People made a similar observation in 2023. A Liberal party spokesperson confirmed the party was still committed to raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 by 2029, as per a commission of inquiry recommendation. But lawyer Pip Monk — who regularly represents children charged with criminal offences — said the reversal of doli incapax was the "direct opposite" of this age of criminal responsibility policy. Ms Monk said the change would have a "significant cost" to Tasmanian Legal Aid, which would need to fund reports for each person aged 10 to 14 it represented. She said it would also add delays to the youth justice system. "Our courts are not currently clogged with young people who have committed serious offences, but are getting off because of doli incapax." The Liberals also plan to make breaching bail an offence for youths, including introducing a bail test. Mr Ellis said community safety would be made the main consideration. This charge previously existed before the government changed it. Youths currently have "relevant contraventions", which do not appear on their criminal record but allow police to bring them back to court to reconsider their bail. The new charge, and the reversal of doli incapax, would require legislation to pass parliament, which could be unlikely if it did not have the support of Labor. The Liberals also promised to make the Divert and Connect program court-mandated, establish a youth hub in Glenorchy and consider aggravating factors in sentencing for youth. Tasmanian Labor has promised to develop plans for a standalone youth court, while the Greens want to end the practice of processing children and young people through police watchhouses and other adult facilities Greens Bass candidate Cecily Rosol said "crackdowns" on youth crime did not work. "If we want to see long-term change in the behaviour of young people we need to be making sure … they have safe housing, that they have safe families to live in, that they have good education, and that they have what they need to flourish," Ms Rosol said.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Crime hits record high as youth violence soars
Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation
The embattled Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services, Vincent Schiraldi, told WJZ he is leaving on his terms, despite Governor Wes Moore insisting he asked for the resignation. The move follows intense criticism of Schiraldi during his two years in office, with critics claiming his policies are too lenient on young and violent offenders. Schiraldi defends work Secretary Schiraldi defended his work in an interview with WJZ shortly after Monday night's surprise announcement from the governor's office that he would be leaving DJS. "Lots of stuff has gone in the right direction, and I thought it's probably a good time for this particular lightning rod to move on and let somebody else take it to the next level," Schiraldi said. Schiraldi said the barrage of criticism that he is too easy on juvenile offenders and failed to hold them accountable during his years on the job factored into his decision. "I've been under criticism since I started," Schiraldi said. "I think it sort of bears noting mass incarceration has been around almost five decades now, and there have been people who have gone up against it, who have pushed back and fought against what I think is very destructive and racially divisive and ineffective policy." Schiraldi added, "This is right out of the mass incarceration playbook: Lots of politicians thumping their chests and vilifying kids and saying we should lock more of them up, and that's what happened. None of that was a surprise." Moore addresses Schiraldi's departure Gov. Moore had a different take on how the departure unfolded. "I called for his resignation, and I'm happy about the direction that I think we are going to go in," the governor told WYPR's Midday with Tom Hall. Moore also spoke about his view of juvenile justice. "I think accountability means being able to use all assets at your disposal," Moore said. "So, if you're saying that accountability simply means a lecture, I think you're wrong. And I think if you're saying accountability means locking everyone up for everything, I also think you are wrong." Moore said, "True public safety means that you have to have the right combination of accountability for those who break the law, and you need to make sure that you focus on rehabilitation." DJS leadership replacement The governor tapped Betsy Fox Tolentino to take over DJS. She currently works for Roca, an organization WJZ has profiled that helps reach the most at-risk youth in Maryland. Tolentino previously worked in Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services Schiraldi said he recommended her for the position, but the governor insisted Tuesday, "She is my choice. I'm thankful that we have someone who is so talented who is coming on to be able to take on that role." Moore said he was "looking forward to the Senate nominations committee giving her a speedy confirmation." The critics Critics, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, told WJZ Investigates they want a change in direction at DJS, citing repeat, violent offenders going unpunished. "Someone who is 16- and 17-years-old, if they commit a violent crime, they should absolutely be held accountable. I certainly hope the acting secretary does not continue down that pathway [of Schiraldi]," Baltimore County Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. Nawrocki said the resignation came as a surprise. "The governor definitely dug in on his confidence in Secretary Schiraldi, so I was definitely surprised by his resignation, but I certainly think it was long overdue," he said. "As you know, I have been calling for his resignation now for well over a year. The system is fundamentally broken at DJS, and I believe the only way to have a good pathway forward is to have new leadership at the top of that organization." The new secretary will still have to be confirmed by the state senate and faces tough questions from Republicans, including Senator William Folden, who was outspoken about Schiraldi's tenure. "He's been a colossal failure," Senator Folden told Hellgren. "He should never have been in that position, and for the governor to put him in that position and leave him in there for as long as he did, at least there's change coming." Folden added, "I applaud the governor for doing this. It's taken a long enough time, but at least the action has been taken now." High-profile incidents Last year, Schiraldi said he had no plans to step down after facing criticism over an incident in Howard County. Howard County Superintendent Bill Barnes said at the time he had no idea a 17-year-old student at Howard High faced attempted murder charges for a violent attack that left a victim paralyzed when he was placed in the school on an ankle monitor under the supervision of the state Department of Juvenile Services. The teen suspect was arrested and charged with the murder of a man last October in the parking lot of an office building in Columbia. Police said they took him into custody in school with a ghost gun that was loaded, had an extended magazine, and was modified to be an automatic weapon. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. The secretary defended his record. "We need to start having a fact and data-based conversation and not just vilify young people with hyperbole. It doesn't serve the goals of public safety. It feeds fear, and it's contrary to the best practices in research," Schiraldi said. He told WJZ his last day on the job is June 20.
