The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and the Black Legal Action Centre, representing decades of advocacy for a fair and just criminal justice system, have serious concerns about the Ontario government’s recent calls for bail reform. The proposed changes not only threaten the progress made in addressing systemic issues in the criminal justice system but also risk disproportionately impacting Black people without improving public safety.

Ontario’s assertion that a “catch-and-release” standard exists in our bail system is not only misleading and offensive but undermines public confidence in the administration of the criminal justice system. Experienced judges and justices of the peace carefully weigh public safety in bail decisions, and any reforms must be built on evidence, not rhetoric. Measures like the “three-strike” rule, mandatory minimum sentences and blanket bail restrictions ignore historical lessons and could lead to overcrowded, underfunded jails, worsening already inhumane conditions.

We urge Ontario’s leaders to consider reforms that support public safety and equal justice, rather than regressive policies that compound racial disparities and harm communities.

Read the full letter here.