TOUGHER IMPAIRED DRIVING LAWS COMING INTO FORCE ON JULY 2^ND

Toronto – June 27, 2008 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C, Q.C., MP for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and representatives from Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), today celebrated a milestone in this Government’s achievement of cracking down on impaired driving through the coming into force of Bill C-2, the Tackling Violent Crime Act.

“Nearly two years ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tied a MADD Canada ribbon to a vehicle to raise awareness for sober and safe driving and to announce legislation that would result in tougher penalties for impaired driving,” said Minister Nicholson. “Today, I am pleased to say that we have delivered on our commitment to Canadians by passing the Tackling Violent Crime Act. As of July 2nd, if you are caught driving impaired, you will be held fully accountable for your actions.”

On July 2, 2008, the provisions on impaired driving will come into force giving police better tools to detect and investigate drug impaired driving. This also means that drivers caught under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will now:

• Face a maximum life sentence if they cause death, and a maximum 10-year sentence if they cause bodily harm, when their blood alcohol concentration is over 80.

• Be charged with a criminal offence if they refuse or fail to comply with a demand to provide for physical sobriety tests or bodily fluid samples.

• Find it more difficult to get off on such stories as “I only had two beers.”

• Face tougher mandatory penalties such as:
• $1000 for a first offence; 
• a sentence of 30 days in jail for a second offence;
• a sentence of 120 days in jail for a third offence.

• Face a higher maximum penalty on summary conviction of 18 months compared to 6 months previously. The five-year maximum, where the prosecution proceeds by indictment, remains.

“There is no excuse for driving impaired, and through the summer months we are urging Canadians to make plans to travel safely to and from holiday parties and family get-togethers. MADD Canada wants everyone to remember to drive sober when on the roads or waterways,” said Margaret Miller, National President of MADD Canada. “With greater public awareness and the new federal laws, our hope is that we can all enjoy the summer without any needless death or injury as a result of impaired driving."

On July 2nd, the provisions in relation to dangerous offenders will also come into effect.  These provisions of the Act will:

• Make it easier for Crown prosecutors to obtain Dangerous Offender designations (one of the most severe sentences available in Canadian law); and

• Create more effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again.

On May 1, 2008, three sections of the Tackling Violent Crime Act came into force.  These three sections provide for:

• Better protection for youth from adult sexual predators by increasing the age of protection for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years;

• Tougher mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes; and

• New bail provisions which require those accused of serious gun crimes to show why they shouldn’t be kept in jail while awaiting trial.

An online version of the legislation will be available at www.parl.gc.ca.

-30-

Ref.:

Darren Eke
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-4621

Media Relations
Department of Justice
613-957-4207