Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jan 2006 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Larry Comeau Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) TOUGHER SENTENCING Re: Suspect in Boxing Day shooting recently out of jail, Dec. 31. The fact that Toronto's Boxing Day shooting suspect, Andre Thompson, was only given 30 days, two terms served concurrently, for a previous armed robbery of a convenience store, rather than a lengthy sentence as allowed under the Criminal Code of Canada, demonstrates the sorry state of our current justice system. Sadly, we see this type of revolving-door, slap-on-the-wrist phenomenon replayed constantly in our courts. Rather than once again penalizing innocent gun owners by banning handguns, Prime Minister Paul Martin would have had more direct effect on serious crimes involving firearms by suggesting judges start handing out appropriate sentences for such offences. It appears many of our judges see themselves more as social workers, as they have gotten away from sentences fitting the crimes. There appears to be little or no importance given to the deterrent side of sentences, as well as an overriding need to protect society from possible repeat offenders. A few weeks ago a British Columbia judge struck down part of the federal anti-gang legislation as being unconstitutional. This is the very act that was passed so that police could attack gang-related crime, such as is escalating in Toronto and other Canadians cities. Far too often, judges are undermining the purpose of the law by such decisions. Another aspect of the justice system is that drug-trafficking sentences have become a joke, although controlling the drug trade and violence are inextricably linked. Once again, we see the current government wanting to exacerbate this problem by legalizing marijuana. Rather than pointing to gun control as the solution to curbing killings and violent crime, all political parties should be calling for putting some teeth back into sentencing practices. Larry Comeau Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman