An Act to amend the Criminal Code (independence of the judiciary)

Bill S-213 (44-1) was a Senate Private Member's Bill to give judges more discretion over sentencing by letting a court depart from a mandatory minimum penalty, or a mandatory prohibition order, where it would be just and reasonable, with written reasons. It would also have let judges order treatment programs without the Attorney General's consent and weigh a jury's recommendation on parole ineligibility in murder cases. Supporters argued mandatory minimums tie judges' hands and contribute to the over-incarceration of Indigenous and Black offenders. The bill stalled in Senate committee and did not become law.