Supreme Court to rule on constitutionality of mandatory minimum firearms sentences

The Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to rule on the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences for offences relating to armed robbery and recklessly firing a gun on Friday.

One such case where the constitutional legitimacy of the minimum sentences was questioned dates back to 2014 where Jesse Dallas Hills, who plead guilty to four charges in Lethbridge, Alberta after he fired at a car with a  bolt-action rifle, alongside firing rounds at a residence argued that the minimum sentence (4 years) was in violation of the constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

The Judge in the case ruled that the minimum sentencing of 4 years was, in fact, unconstitutional and the decision was upheld on appeal.

In other parts of Alberta, two other cases where men pleaded guilty to charges pertaining to armed robberies of convenience stores saw similar rulings, with the respective judges declaring the minimum sentencing unconstitutional.