Canada · 14 d ago
Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
B.C. judge rules the ban on early parole for multiple murderers unconstitutional
Justice Brenda Brown of the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the Criminal Code section barring multiple murderers from the faint-hope clause breaches the Charter's guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment.
The term
faint-hope clause
The faint-hope clause lets some offenders seek a judicial review of their parole ineligibility once they have served more than 15 years. Ottawa abolished it for multiple murderers sentenced after December 2011.
The ruling delays sentencing again for three men found guilty in May of first-degree murder in the home-invasion killings of Arnold and Joanne De Jong. The couple's daughters said they were shocked and disappointed.
What's next
Lawyers return in November to argue whether the infringement can be justified under Section 1 of the Charter, and sentencing is now set for February 2027.
