Supreme Court sets standard for prosecutors seeking adult sentences for youth
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has established a standard Crown prosecutors must meet when they are seeking adult sentences for youth offenders.
The court says they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the youth has the developmental age and capacity for moral judgment of an adult.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, youth have what is known as diminished moral culpability.
The onus is on Crown prosecutors to prove that principle doesn't apply to a specific offender.
The Supreme Court was reviewing two Ontario cases in which youth offenders were sentenced as adults.
It upheld one of those cases and overturned the other.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025.
Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
Police probe possible arson at Brossard pizzeria
Police are investigating after evidence suggested a fire at a Brossard pizzeria may have been deliberately set. Longueuil police (SPAL) are investigating a suspicious fire at a pizzeria in Brossard. Police say officers were called around 6:30 a.m. Saturday to assist the Longueuil fire department at 5991 Avenue Auteuil, where a restaurant was on fire. Firefighters arrived to find the building empty, and the blaze was quickly brought under control. About 30 firefighters were involved in the operation. The fire department estimates damages at around $100,000. According to authorities, the investigation was handed over to the SPAL after evidence suggested the fire may have been deliberately set. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not spread to neighbouring buildings. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
Ukrainian community rallies in Calgary
Members of Calgary's Ukrainian community rallied Friday to protest the bombing of Kyiv. Over 30 people died, including 5 children.
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
Prosecutors stay charge for man convicted in 1987 killing, says Innocence Canada
A courtroom at the Edmonton Law Courts building in Edmonton on Friday, June 28, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson The group representing an Alberta man who spent decades in prison for the death of an Edmonton woman says his charge has been stayed. Innocence Canada says Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but says the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge. Lawyer James Lockyer says the group was 'delighted' by the news and believes this is the longest a wrongly convicted person has spent in prison in Canada. Sobotiak was granted bail earlier this year for his 1991 life sentence in the 1987 murder of Susan Kaminsky after former federal justice minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial due to what he called a likely 'miscarriage of justice.' Lawyers for Alberta Justice had requested a judicial review, arguing that Virani provided no reasoning as to why a new trial was warranted. A spokesperson for the provincial government did not immediately return a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025. Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press
