C-246 (45-1) - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentences for sexual offences)
Chamber
commons
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
Sep 23, 2025
Progress
This bill requires that prison sentences for multiple sexual offences be served one after another, not at the same time.
Key Changes
- Makes consecutive sentencing mandatory for sexual offences, removing judicial discretion to impose concurrent sentences
- Requires that multiple sexual offence sentences imposed at the same time be served consecutively
- Requires that a new sexual offence sentence be served consecutively to any existing sexual offence sentence already being served
- Amends subsection 718.3(7) of the Criminal Code
Gotchas
- Mandatory consecutive sentencing removes judicial discretion, which could conflict with the principle of proportionality in sentencing that the bill itself references in its preamble
- Longer total sentences resulting from mandatory consecutive terms could significantly increase costs and capacity pressures in federal and provincial prisons
- The bill does not define which specific offences qualify as 'sexual offences,' so the scope depends on how that term is interpreted under existing Criminal Code provisions
- Some legal experts have argued that mandatory sentencing rules can face constitutional challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding cruel and unusual punishment
- This is a private member's bill, meaning it faces a more difficult path to becoming law compared to government legislation
Who's Affected
- People convicted of multiple sexual offences
- Victims of sexual offences
- Judges, who lose discretion in sentencing for these offences
- Crown prosecutors and defence lawyers involved in sexual offence cases
- Federal and provincial correctional systems, which may house inmates for longer periods
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Mandatory consecutive sentencing removes judicial discretion, which could conflict with the principle of proportionality in sentencing that the bill itself references in its preamble
- Longer total sentences resulting from mandatory consecutive terms could significantly increase costs and capacity pressures in federal and provincial prisons
- The bill does not define which specific offences qualify as 'sexual offences,' so the scope depends on how that term is interpreted under existing Criminal Code provisions
- Some legal experts have argued that mandatory sentencing rules can face constitutional challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding cruel and unusual punishment
- This is a private member's bill, meaning it faces a more difficult path to becoming law compared to government legislation
Summary
Bill C-246 amends the Criminal Code to make consecutive sentencing mandatory when someone is convicted of multiple sexual offences. Currently, judges have discretion to order sentences to be served at the same time (concurrently) or one after another (consecutively). This bill removes that discretion for sexual offences, requiring that each sentence be added on top of any other sexual offence sentence. This means if a person is convicted of, say, three sexual offences, they must serve the full sentence for each one in sequence rather than having them overlap. The bill also applies when someone is already serving a sentence for a sexual offence and receives a new one — the new sentence must be added on after the existing one. The bill was introduced by Mrs. Thomas as a private member's bill. Its stated goals are to better reflect the harm done to each individual victim, deter sexual violence, and increase public confidence in the justice system.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses