FEDERAL CONSERVATIVES UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAWS HIT ROADBLOCK

The Supreme Court of Canada have struck down two federal laws that Steven Harper and the Tories passed when in power. The one deals with minimum sentences for certain drug crimes and the other ends limits on credit for pre-trial detention. Both of these regressive laws the Conservatives tried to sell as being necessary to keep undesirables in jail longer. Among other issues speaking against minimum drug sentences are the instances where a person shares a small amount of marijuana with friends. The second instance basically penalizes to a much greater exyent the accused who is unable to get bail early on. Thus two ientical circumstances resulting in convictions could have widely varying jail time if the accused who didn't get bail is also not given credit for pre-trial detention. The article is laste week's (April 16/16) Waterloo region record and is titled "Top court quashes laws from Harper crime agenda".