Falling crime numbers across Canada challenge tough-on-crime legislation
Statistics Canada reports crime down almost everywhere in 2025, but Parliament passed three new criminal bills last month.
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New statistics showing crime has dropped almost everywhere in Canada are raising questions about whether the federal government's recent tough-on-crime legislation was based on facts.
Statistics Canada reported that both the rates and severity of reported crime were down almost across the board in 2025. Parliament, however, passed three bills last month that introduced new offences to the Criminal Code, made it more difficult to get bail for a variety of crimes, and restored mandatory minimum prison penalties.
Catherine Latimer, executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada, said Ottawa lacked evidence to show the three bills actually addressed a public safety problem or would make people safer in the long term. "The politicization of criminal policy has led some Canadians to believe crime rates are higher than they are," Latimer said.
The Liberals introduced the three bills after the 2025 federal election campaign, during which the Conservative party campaigned heavily on cracking down on crime.
