Mark Dunn of the Kingston Whig-Standard reports that "The government will support a private member's bill that would make it a crime to wear a mask or disguise during a riot, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said Sunday. The Concealment of Identity Act would create two Criminal Code offences with maximum penalties of five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000."
No where in the article does it define when a demonstration becomes a riot. Plus how does this affect Halloween? I am not being funny here.
What we need are less laws not more laws. This is just another way the Stephen Harpers are going to clog up the courts.
WFDS
Jack Harris, NDP MP for St. John's East, NL
ReplyDeletefrom Hansard
"There is already a substantive section of the Criminal Code that says a person cannot wear a mask with the intent to commit an indictable offence. It is subsection 351(2).
What are we doing creating new offences? Why are we doing that? If there is a need to charge somebody for wearing a mask with intent to commit an indictable offence, and rioting is considered an indictable offence, then the tool is already there."