Canada election: Poilievre’s vow to override Charter in crime crackdown draws fire from rivals [Video]

A criminal defence lawyer weighs in on Poilievre’s crime plans

Poilievre, earlier today, said he would use the notwithstanding clause to introduce consecutive life sentences for people convicted of multiple murders.

It would revive a Harper-era policy that would give judges the discretion to hand out consecutive, 25-year blocks of parole ineligibility.

Nick Cake, a criminal defence lawyer and a former Crown counsel, said that Poilievre’s approach doesn’t “need to happen, because it already exists.”

“If you commit a murder — a first- or a second-degree murder — the mandatory minimum sentence is life in prison,” Cake said, adding that parole eligibility doesn’t automatically mean a person will be granted parole.

“They’re still in jail for the rest of their life until they get parole and, of course, there’s a whole number of hoops an offender would have to jump through in order to be granted parole. It’s not guaranteed,” …