First Ministers Call for Bail Reform in Letter to Prime Minister Following BC Woman’s Murder

July 23, 2024 TruthUSA

Canada’s premiers have written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging a review of the country’s bail system following the tragic killing of Tori Dunn, a 30-year-old woman from Surrey, B.C., in her own home last month.

Adam Troy Mann, a 40-year-old Ontario man charged with her murder, had been released from jail just days before despite a history of violence. He had also been charged in relation to another stabbing a week prior to Dunn’s death.

The premiers highlighted Ms. Dunn’s murder as an example of a concerning trend of “repeat and violent offenders being released into our communities without proper consideration,” in a letter drafted at the Council of the Federation meeting last week.

Council of the Federation

meeting.

The premiers expressed that provincial prosecutors had advised against Mann’s release, citing a failure of Bill C-48, the federal bail reform legislation, in preventing violent offenders from posing a serious risk to public safety.

Bill C-48, which came into effect in January, imposes a reverse onus on violent offenders, requiring them to remain in detention until trial unless they can prove they are not a flight risk or a danger to public safety. It is unclear why Mann was released despite apparently not meeting the requirements of the legislation.

The premiers emphasized that an inadequate bail system causing law enforcement to repeatedly pursue the same criminals not only depletes resources but also jeopardizes public safety.

Justice Minister Arif Virani stated that Bill C-48 aimed to address concerns about violent crime in Canada.

“Canadians should be reassured that their feedback has been acknowledged as we enhance our bail system,” said Minister of Justice Arif Virani in a statement in December 2023. “The changes target serious repeat offenses involving weapons like guns and knives, as well as those accused of repeated intimate partner violence.”

Second Call for Reform

Stories like Dunn’s murder are exactly what we sought to prevent, which is why we pushed for the reforms made in Ottawa,” he mentioned, referring to a previous letter sent to Prime Minister Trudeau advocating for bail reform.

All 13 provincial and territorial premiers signed a letter in January 2023 urging immediate action from Ottawa to strengthen the bail system in the country.

The initial call for reform stemmed from the 2022 murder of Constable Greg Pierzchala, which led to changes in Canada’s bail system through Bill C-48. However, B.C. Premier David Eby believed more actions were necessary.

The new letter straightforwardly requests the government to address evident gaps in the bail laws and ensure their proper enforcement.

The Epoch Times contacted The Prime Minister’s Office and Public Safety Canada for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

A Criminal History

The accused in Dunn’s murder was previously deemed an “unmanageable risk” unfit for community supervision in a pre-sentencing report after a past home invasion conviction in Ontario.

Court records across B.C., Ontario, and New Brunswick revealed Mann’s extensive criminal past spanning decades, including multiple convictions for violent offenses and weapons charges.

In 2009, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbery and weapons offenses related to a home invasion. Despite accumulating numerous convictions, including violent crimes, he was granted statutory release in 2019.

Further charges of weapon possession, resisting a peace officer, and breaching probation were brought against Mann this year. He is also scheduled for court in Surrey regarding an alleged aggravated assault.

B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma indicated that prosecutors opposed Mann’s release and promised to advocate for federal Criminal Code amendments to address public safety concerns.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.

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