Federal minister agrees with jail credit reduction
Updated Fri. Nov. 16 2007 1:36 PM ET
The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG -- Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says he's on side with his provincial counterparts who want changes to the double credit criminals usually get for time served in remand.
Nicholson says he's happy the issue was discussed at a justice ministers meeting in Winnipeg this week and he plans to draft legislation making the jail credit system clearer.
But he wouldn't give a date for when he expects such a bill to be introduced in Parliament.
The Criminal Code currently allows judges some discretion as to how much those convicted of crimes should be credited for the time they spent behind bars awaiting trial.
Quite often that results in shorter sentences because criminals can get as much as double credit.
Manitoba Justice Minister Dave Chomiak says amended legislation would more clearly outline what credit criminals would receive for remand time.
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