Conservatives demand Criminal Code changes to end 'candy sentences' for immigrants
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner calls for federal legislation to toughen penalties for non-citizen offenders.
Conversation activity · last 8 hours peak 4/15m
Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 16 items across 4 sources · 1h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner has renewed calls for the Liberal government to amend the Criminal Code to end what she characterizes as "candy sentences"—lenient penalties—for immigrants convicted of crimes. The issue centers on judges issuing light sentences to non-citizens to avoid triggering automatic deportation, sparking debate over whether the problem lies with judicial discretion, sentencing guidelines, or federal immigration policy.
- Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner calls for Criminal Code amendments to prevent light sentences for immigrants convicted of crimes.
- The debate hinges on whether judges are deliberately handing down light sentences to avoid triggering automatic deportation under immigration law.
- Commenters point out the cases involve provincial judges and local prosecutors, raising questions about federal legislative authority.
- Competing views: some argue for automatic deportation for any crime by non-citizens; others warn this removes judicial discretion and context.
How it unfolded
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A commenter suggests the federal government could change immigration rules to mandate automatic deportation for any immigrant committing a crime, rather than relying on sentencing changes.
“The federal government is 100% in control around immigration guidelines, They don't need to make any new laws or tell judges what they can or can't do.”
tape99 · r/canada ↗ -
Users note that the cases involve provincially appointed judges in Quebec and local prosecutors, and that federal sentencing guidelines contain no special provisions based on immigration status.
“This is about a provincially appointed judge in Quebec and a local prosecutor in Montreal.”
Fadore · r/canada ↗ -
Online commenters argue over whether the issue stems from judges deliberately giving light sentences to avoid deportation consequences, or from broader sentencing guidelines set by federal law.
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Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner calls on the Liberal government to amend the Criminal Code to end "candy sentences" that allow immigrants convicted of crimes to avoid harsher penalties.
“insane and disgusting”
Michelle Rempel Garner · Press ↗
What people are saying verbatim
“insane and disgusting”
Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative immigration critic · National Post ↗ · Aug 10
“This is about a provincially appointed judge in Quebec and a local prosecutor in Montreal. The judge has the full leeway to sentence as harsh as the sentencing guidelines allow set out by the feds.”
Fadore, Reddit commenter · Reddit ↗ · Aug 10
“The federal government is 100% in control around immigration guidelines, They don't need to make any new laws or tell judges what they can or can't do.”
tape99, Reddit commenter · Reddit ↗ · Aug 10
“That's actually how we got here. Judges don't want to hand out instant disqualification for PR/citizenship, so they give out light sentences.”
chaossabre, Reddit commenter · Reddit ↗ · Aug 10
“Why not? They aren't a citizen of Canada. They are only a landed immigrate. All its saying is that they have committed a crime in Canada and is no longer welcome to stay in this country.”
nekonight, Reddit commenter · Reddit ↗ · Aug 10
“If you label Canadians are liberals and non liberals, you will eventually have a country like the US, not a country but a bastion of political parties at each other's throat.”
e9967780, Reddit commenter · Reddit ↗ · Aug 10
The conversation positions from the crowd, verbatim
Reddit commenters are divided on both the diagnosis of the problem and the appropriate solution. The conversation splits between those who see judicial leniency as a systemic issue requiring legislative fix, and those who argue the real lever is federal immigration policy rather than Criminal Code amendment. There's also tension between those advocating strict deportation rules for any crime and those warning against removing judicial discretion.
The dispute Whether the solution lies in amending federal sentencing law, changing federal immigration deportation rules, or preserving judicial discretion in criminal sentencing—and whether this issue is actually within federal legislative authority.
The issue is judges giving light sentences to avoid deportation; it requires Criminal Code reform to prevent this.
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“That's actually how we got here. Judges don't want to hand out instant disqualification for PR/citizenship, so they give out light sentences.”
chaossabre · Reddit ↗
This is a provincial judicial matter, not federal law; the Conservative criticism misplaces blame away from Ottawa.
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“This isn't about sentencing guidelines. The CPC have done a great job here of generating outrage at the LPC for something that is not their pervue. This is about a provincially appointed judge in Quebec.”
Fadore · Reddit ↗
Federal immigration policy—not Criminal Code law—is the real tool; automatic deportation for any crime would fix the issue.
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“The federal government is 100% in control around immigration guidelines, They don't need to make any new laws or tell judges what they can or can't do. They can just change the rules that any immigrant that commits any crime gets an…”
tape99 · Reddit ↗ -
“Why not? They aren't a citizen of Canada. They are only a landed immigrate. All its saying is that they have committed a crime in Canada and is no longer welcome to stay in this country.”
nekonight · Reddit ↗
Automatic deportation for any crime removes necessary judicial discretion and context; voters prioritize cost of living over this issue.
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“Zero room for qualifying the actual impact of the crime. Zero room for context.”
Fadore · Reddit ↗ -
“If I understand your position correctly as being that anyone not voting for a party advocating for reforming the way these cases are judged is complacent, then yes. I would argue that in many cases (if not most), it isn't a lack of caring…”
Saulsbury_Hammerfest · Reddit ↗
Voices from the web unedited
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This isn't about sentencing guidelines. The CPC have done a great job here of generating outrage at the LPC for something that is not their pervue. Read the article. This is about a provincially appointed judge in Quebec and a local prosecutor in Montreal. The judge has the full leeway to sentence as harsh as the sentencing guidelines allow set…
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Criminal Code s175 (1)(a)(i): someone can be convicted of the crime of "causing a public disturbance" for singing. Judge might very well convict something like this with zero jail time because it's silly, but technically against the law. According to you: boom, instant deportation if they aren't a citizen. Zero room for qualifying the actual…
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If I understand your position correctly as being that anyone not voting for a party advocating for reforming the way these cases are judged is complacent, then yes. I would argue that in many cases (if not most), it isn't a lack of caring, it's prioritizing much more immediate concerns like cost of living and healthcare, for instance.
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I don’t what point you are trying to make. Stare decisis is there to make sure a judge doesn’t rely purely on their own moral judgement. When a judge has to set a precedent or even overrule a precedent, he has to interpret the law first and has to give extensive arguments and give their opinion only where there are gaps in the law.
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The federal government is 100% in control around immigration guidelines, They don't need to make any new laws or tell judges what they can or can't do. They can just change the rules that any immigrant that commits any crime gets an automatic deportation and not this 6 month jail sentence rule they have now.
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If you label Canadians are liberals and non liberals, you will eventually have a country like the US, not a country but a bastion of political parties at each other’s throat. There isn’t a Canadian liberal or otherwise who wants to create two classes of criminal.
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Why not? They aren't a citizen of Canada. They are only a landed immigrate. All its saying is that they have committed a crime in Canada and is no longer welcome to stay in this country. Please go back to where they have citizenship.
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That's actually how we got here. Judges don't want to hand out instant disqualification for PR/citizenship, so they give out light sentences. You'd get juries declining to convict on immigration grounds instead, which is even worse.
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I'm pretty sure the conservatives would fix this issue within the first 100 days as government. But let's keep voting liberal and put this on a wish list.
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Speeding is a wide range and as for torrenting, i dont remember anyone ever getting in trouble for this.