Published On: Jan 17,2018
Under the Criminal Code of Canada (the “Code”), a “dangerous offender” designation carries serious criminal law consequences. Generally, it is reserved for the most violent and sexual predators. The designation carries an automatic sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period, with no chance of parole for seven years. The constitutionality of those provisions of the Code were recently challenged in the Supreme Court of Canada in a case called R. v. Boutilier, 2017 SCC 64 (“Boutilier”). The majority of the Court upheld the constitutionality of the two (2) sections of the regime that was amended in 2008. Currently, Section 753(1) of the Code sets out this two-stage test: the designation stage and the penalty stage. It requires the lower Court, tasked with the adjudication, at the designation stage, if a sentencing judge is satisfied that the statutory criteria under s. 753(1) have been met, the designation as a dangerous offender must follow. At the penalty stage, under s. 753(4.1), a sentencing judge must impose an indeterminate sentence on a designated individual (an ordinary sentence followed by a long-term supervision order, or only an ordinary sentence) unless he or she is satisfied that there is a reasonable expectation that a lesser measure will adequately protect the public. In this case, the sentencing judge granted B’s application in part, finding only that s. 753(1) is unconstitutionally overbroad. Nevertheless, the sentencing judge held that B was a dangerous offender and sentenced him to an indeterminate detention. The Court of Appeal held that the sentencing judge had erred in finding s. 753(1) to be overbroad but agreed with the sentencing judge that s. 753(4.1) did not violate ss. 7 and 12 of the Charter. The Court of Appeal dismissed B’s appeal of his dangerous offender designation and indeterminate sentence. The matter was further appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Section 753(1) does not preclude a sentencing judge from considering future treatment prospects before designating an offender as dangerous and therefore is not overbroad under s. 7 of the Charter. To obtain a designation of dangerousness resulting from violent behaviour, the Crown must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt, inter alia, that the offender represents a threat to the life, safety or physical or mental well‑being of other persons. Before designating a dangerous offender, a sentencing judge must be satisfied on the evidence that the offender poses a high likelihood of harmful recidivism and that his or her conduct is intractable. Intractable conduct means behaviour that the offender is unable to surmount. Through these two criteria, Parliament requires sentencing judges to conduct a prospective assessment of dangerousness. All of the evidence adduced during a dangerous offender hearing must be considered at both the designation and penalty stages of the sentencing judge’s analysis, though for the purpose of making different findings related to different legal criteria. At the designation stage, treatability informs the decision on the threat posed by an offender, whereas at the penalty stage, it helps determine the appropriate sentence to manage this threat. A prospective assessment of dangerousness ensures that only offenders who pose a tremendous future risk are designated as dangerous and face the possibility of being sentenced to an indeterminate detention. A provision imposing an indeterminate detention is therefore not overbroad if it is carefully confined in its application to those habitual criminals who are dangerous to others.
Section 753(4.1) does not lead to a grossly disproportionate sentence, contrary to s. 12 of the Charter, by presumptively imposing indeterminate detention and preventing the sentencing judge from imposing a fit sentence. Properly read and applied, s. 753(4.1) does not impose an onus, a rebuttable presumption, or mandatory sanctioning. It provides guidance on how a sentencing judge can properly exercise his or her discretion in accordance with the applicable objectives and principles of sentencing. Sentencing principles and mandatory guidelines outlined in ss. 718 to 718.2 of the Criminal Code apply to every sentencing decision, whether made under the regular sentencing regime, the dangerous offender regime or the long‑term offender regime. Parliament is entitled to decide that protection of the public is an enhanced sentencing objective for individuals who have been designated as dangerous. This does not mean that this objective operates to the exclusion of all others. Indeterminate detention is only one sentencing option among others available under s. 753(4). In lieu of an indeterminate detention, a judge may impose a sentence that is more proportionate, whether it is imprisonment for a minimum of two years followed by long‑term supervision — which amounts to a long‑term offender sentence — or a sentence under the regular sentencing regime. The sentencing alternatives listed in s. 753(4) therefore encompass the entire spectrum of sentences contemplated by the Criminal Code. In order to properly exercise his or her discretion under s. 753(4), the sentencing judge must impose the least intrusive sentence required to achieve the primary purpose of the scheme. Nothing in the wording of s. 753(4.1) removes the obligation incumbent on a sentencing judge to consider all sentencing principles in order to choose a sentence that is fit for a specific offender. An offender’s moral culpability, the seriousness of the offence, mitigating factors, and principles developed for Indigenous offenders are each part of the sentencing process under the dangerous offender scheme. Each of these considerations is relevant to deciding whether or not a lesser sentence would sufficiently protect the public.
Section 753(4.1) is not overbroad in violation of s. 7 of the Charter. Section 753(1) limits the availability of an indeterminate detention under s. 753(4) and (4.1) to a narrow group of offenders that are dangerous per se. The dangerous offender designation criteria are more onerous than the long‑term offender criteria. It therefore cannot be said that both regimes target the same offenders. Furthermore, s. 753(4.1) does not create a presumption that indeterminate detention is the appropriate sentence — the sentencing judge is under the obligation to conduct a thorough inquiry that considers all the evidence presented during the hearing in order to decide the fittest sentence for the offender. Under s. 753(4), a long‑term offender sentence remains available for dangerous offenders who can be controlled in the community in a manner that adequately protects the public from murder or a serious personal injury offence.