B.C.'s courts will have more flexibility to manage offenders convicted under provincial statutes starting this June.
That's when changes to the Offence Act, passed in the provincial legislature this week, come into effect.
Judges will be able to impose probation orders that are "better tailored to reflect the offences and offenders' circumstances," according to a government press release, which went on to list some examples:
- For serious Motor Vehicle Act offences, such as driving without due care, a combination of fine and probation or jail and probation creates a sentence that was not previously available to the court.
- For repeat trespass offences, offenders could be placed on probation, with court-ordered conditions to stay away from a specific area, and community work service could be imposed rather than a fine.
- For street disorder offences, charges could be laid under the Liquor Control and Licensing Act for being drunk in a public place, rather than under the Criminal Code.
Offenders could be placed under probation orders with conditions, such as paying for damages, writing an apology letter and performing community work service. If individuals fail to comply, they could be charged with a breach of the probation order.
