Reform bail for human trafficking
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to reform Canada’s bail system for serious human‑trafficking offences, scrap Bills C‑75 and C‑5, prioritize victim safety in bail decisions, and strengthen intergovernmental and international coordination.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would make victim safety and risk of intimidation or reexploitation primary bail considerations, potentially reducing harm to survivors.
- Tightening bail for serious trafficking offences could lower the chance that alleged offenders are released and reoffend while awaiting trial.
- Stronger intergovernmental and international coordination could improve investigations, information sharing and enforcement against trafficking networks.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Stricter bail rules may increase pretrial detention, raising concerns about defendants’ liberty and the presumption of innocence.
- Scrapping Bills C‑75 and C‑5 in full could discard reforms unrelated to trafficking and create legal or procedural gaps.
- Enhanced coordination and enforcement requires resources and clear jurisdictional roles; without them it could duplicate efforts or strain local services.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes worldwide and continues to occur within Canada; Canada remains both a source and destination country for human trafficking, particularly for the sexual exploitation and forced labor; Major transportation routes, including the highway 401 corridor are known to be used by traffickers to move victims between communities; Communities along the 401 corridor including Ashowah and other parts of Durham region, have experienced the devastating local impacts of human trafficking; Survivors of human trafficking often live in fear of retaliation, intimidation or reexploitation; and Canada's current bail system has been widely criticized as a catch and release system that too often results in repeat violent offenders being released into communities while awaiting trial. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Reform Canada's bail system, as it applies to serious human trafficking and exploitation offenses to better protect victims and communities; 2. Scrap Bill C-75 and Bill C-5; 3. Ensure that victim safety and the risk of intimidation or reexploitation are primary considerations in bail determination; 4. Enhance coordination between federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, the private sector and the other stockholders, more closely to combat human trafficking in Canada; and 5. Cooperate with international investigations into human trafficking and sexual exploitation networks to investigate any individuals with ties to Canada were appropriate and strengthen Canadian laws and enforcement measures to combat human trafficking and protect children.
Government response
No government response is available yet.