Parliament gave speedy passage on Thursday to a cabinet bill to close the “extreme intoxication” defence. The cabinet bill was prompted by a Supreme Court decision six weeks ago..“There are times when it is our duty as parliamentarians to move quickly to solve problems,” said Attorney General David Lametti. “This is one of those times.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, Bill C-28 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code bans “self-induced extreme intoxication” as a defence. The term is defined as “the standard of care expected of a reasonable person.” Cabinet introduced the bill last Friday..“With this bill we are standing up for victims and survivors of crime,” said Lametti..“This bill reaffirms it is fair and just to hold individuals responsible for crimes of violence like assault, sexual assault and manslaughter committed in a state of extreme intoxication if they were criminally negligent in their consumption of intoxicating substances. It is simply unacceptable.”.The Supreme Court on May 13 upheld the “extreme intoxication” defence in the case of a Calgary man who beat a woman with a broom after consuming alcohol and drugs at a house party. The Court ruled Matthew Brown, 26, “acted involuntarily” since he was so intoxicated he was in a state of “automatism.”.Eyewitnesses said Brown ran for a kilometre or more naked in a cold January night, was “screaming at the top of his lungs” and breaking glass windows in neighbours’ homes. Brown testified he had no memory of his spree after police found him collapsed and bleeding on the floor of a stranger’s bathroom..The Supreme Court in its 9-0 decision struck down Criminal Code section 33.1 that stated criminal defendants could not claim “self-inducted intoxication” as a defence. “There may well have been other paths for Parliament to achieve its legitimate aims connected to combating extreme intoxicated violence,” the Court added..Parliament passed Bill C-28 to counter the Court’s ruling. “We need to pass this because we do not want victims,” said Conservative MP Karen Vecchio (Elgin-Middlesex, ON)..“We do not want another person to fall victim to this,” said Vecchio. “I look at it as one is too many. We know this defence being used once is one time too many.”.Passage of the bill was the House of Commons’ last act of business before adjourning for a two-month summer recess. MPs are scheduled to return September 19.
Parliament gave speedy passage on Thursday to a cabinet bill to close the “extreme intoxication” defence. The cabinet bill was prompted by a Supreme Court decision six weeks ago..“There are times when it is our duty as parliamentarians to move quickly to solve problems,” said Attorney General David Lametti. “This is one of those times.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, Bill C-28 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code bans “self-induced extreme intoxication” as a defence. The term is defined as “the standard of care expected of a reasonable person.” Cabinet introduced the bill last Friday..“With this bill we are standing up for victims and survivors of crime,” said Lametti..“This bill reaffirms it is fair and just to hold individuals responsible for crimes of violence like assault, sexual assault and manslaughter committed in a state of extreme intoxication if they were criminally negligent in their consumption of intoxicating substances. It is simply unacceptable.”.The Supreme Court on May 13 upheld the “extreme intoxication” defence in the case of a Calgary man who beat a woman with a broom after consuming alcohol and drugs at a house party. The Court ruled Matthew Brown, 26, “acted involuntarily” since he was so intoxicated he was in a state of “automatism.”.Eyewitnesses said Brown ran for a kilometre or more naked in a cold January night, was “screaming at the top of his lungs” and breaking glass windows in neighbours’ homes. Brown testified he had no memory of his spree after police found him collapsed and bleeding on the floor of a stranger’s bathroom..The Supreme Court in its 9-0 decision struck down Criminal Code section 33.1 that stated criminal defendants could not claim “self-inducted intoxication” as a defence. “There may well have been other paths for Parliament to achieve its legitimate aims connected to combating extreme intoxicated violence,” the Court added..Parliament passed Bill C-28 to counter the Court’s ruling. “We need to pass this because we do not want victims,” said Conservative MP Karen Vecchio (Elgin-Middlesex, ON)..“We do not want another person to fall victim to this,” said Vecchio. “I look at it as one is too many. We know this defence being used once is one time too many.”.Passage of the bill was the House of Commons’ last act of business before adjourning for a two-month summer recess. MPs are scheduled to return September 19.
