Overview
- Attorney General Doug Downey said the province will table legislation requiring accused people granted bail to pay a cash security deposit on release, to be returned at the end of their case.
- Officials also unveiled operational steps that include new digital tools to track repeat offenders, expanded bail prosecution teams, and a plan to add 1,000 jail beds.
- The government argues upfront payment will improve compliance and public safety, positioning the move as part of a broader response to concerns over violent crime.
- Civil liberties advocates and opposition politicians say mandatory cash deposits risk a two-tier system that would keep low-income people in jail and worsen remand overcrowding.
- Legal scholars cite the Supreme Court’s 2017 Antic ruling, which limits cash bail to exceptional cases and requires affordability checks, and British Columbia signaled concerns about constitutionality and fairness.