Canadian politics thread

[Hondaracer]

How many times have judges given out sentences that are more lenient than crown council even suggests?

So the govt. appointed council pushing for a term based on precedent says this should be the punishment, and the judge actively reduces the sentence based on their opinion.

Don’t act like that doesn’t happen all the time.

[westopher]

What are you basing that on? Do you have legal knowledge on how they got to that? I'm not saying it doesnt. But I'm about as sure that it doesnt as you are that it does.

[rymack]

BC judges just made a 29% pay increase over a 4 year span with most making $340,000 or more a year now

That is a lot of money.
Don't think there is any dispute here. But the other side of the coin is the awful shit they have to deal with . Can you imagine sitting on a case in family court knowing you have to make a judgement that will alter the life of a innocent , unprotected child with no agency of there own and know that whatever you do will not be enough and ultimately there is no good choice.

Don't get me wrong. I agree with your frustrations on the lack of political will that it takes to fix this system. I only point out its not as easy as it seems. I whole heartedly believe everyone in the system from judges to prosecutors to defense counsel even to the politicians would like to fix it .

We've seen things like mandatory minimums get quashed in supreme court. It takes away a judges ability to be independent. We've seen things like safe supply be a complete failure. The "catch and release revolving door " is something no one wants.

I don't have answers i only say its more complicated than it looks and more especially more complicated than the media makes it out to be.

btw were you aware the crown prosecutors and few others ( cant recall who ) in govenrment automatically get the same percentage raise as the judges? Its in there contract.

[Hondaracer]

Well yea.. you make good points but much like a police officer, fire fighter, etc. for a judge, THAT is their job. That is what they are paid for.

It’s naive to thing it’s only on judges when the system as a whole is so broken but certainly they are a key cog in the wheel.

[68style]

They have to make rulings based on precedent or else it gets appealed and likely changed at further cost.

They can’t make statement rulings suddenly, they have to go with equivalent sentences to what has been levied before.

Making it sound like they’re on a mission to ruin shit or on the take somehow? From who? What’s the benefit?

[JDMDreams]

https://globalnews.ca/news/10989637/...woodwards/amp/

Yea not sure what business can just drop $10m like that.

There (are) no repercussions against repeat violent and chronic offenders,” said Mahlman. “And something needs to change.”

The same scenario Mahlman said, is playing out in downtown cores across the province.

“We’re at a crisis point,” he said. “And if the government doesn’t act soon, we’ll lose our downtowns, just like what we’ve seen in the U.S..”