View source for Sentencing for Murder

[[fr:Peine_pour_meurtre]]
{{Currency2|January|2020}}
{{LevelZero}}{{HeaderHomicide}}
{{OffenceBox 
|OffenceTitle=Murder 
|OffencePage=Murder 
|Section=235 
|Act={{OBCCC}} 
|CrownElection={{OBIndictableElection}} 
|Jurisdiction={{OBJurisdictionExclusive}} 
|Bail={{OBBailSupJudge}}  
|IndictableDisp= {{OBDispFed}} 
|IndictableMin= {{OBTime|life}} 
|IndictableMax= {{OBMaxLife}} }}

==Sentencing Principles and Ranges==
{{seealsoSentencing}}

; Maximum Penalties
{{SProfileMaxHeader}}
{{SProfileMax|s. 235 | {{NA}} | {{MaxLife}} }}
{{SProfileEnd}}
{{MaxPenaltyIndictment|s. 235 |'''{{MaxLife}}'''}}

; Minimum Penalties
{{MinPenalty|s. 235|'''{{MinLife}}''' {{DescrSec|235}}}}

; Available Dispositions

{{SProfileAvailHeader}}
|s. 235 || any || {{SProfileOnlyFedJail}}
|-
{{SProfileEnd}}

{{OnlyJailAvailable|s. 235}}

; Consecutive Sentences
{{NoConsecutive}}

==Parole Ineligibility==
The parole ineligibility dates run from the date of arrest.<ref>
s. 746; {{CanLIIRP|Toor|1l21v|2005 BCCA 333 (CanLII)|[2005] BCJ 1382 (BCCA)}}{{perBCCA|Ryan JA}}{{atL|1l21v|13}}</ref>

Several jurisdictions approve of the user of starting points for parole ineligibility.<ref>
NS: {{CanLIIRP|Smith|gdr6j|2014 NSSC 352 (CanLII)|NSJ No 517}}{{perNSSC|Duncan J}}<br>
NB: {{CanLIIRP|Nash|29vmr|2009 NBCA 7 (CanLII)|240 CCC (3d) 421}}{{perNBCA|Robertson JA}}<br>
</ref>

Section 745.3 requires that a jury be polled regarding eligibility.

Where the offender is a youth, s. 745.3 does not apply.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|MT|24xxc|2009 CanLII 40314 (ONSC)|[2009] OJ No 1351}}{{perONSC|Nordheimer J}}<br>
</ref>

The minimum period of parole ineligibility is fixed and a sentence cannot go below 10 years after taking into account remand credit.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Toews|gj0df|2015 ABCA 167 (CanLII)|AJ No 538}}{{perABCA|Costigan JA}}
</ref>

General deterrence is a valid factor to consider in assessing parole ineligibility.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Hawkins|2fdkz|2011 NSCA 7 (CanLII)|265 CCC (3d) 513}}{{perNSCA|Beveridge JA}}{{atL|2fdkz|16}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Nash|29vmr|2009 NBCA 7 (CanLII)|240 CCC (3d) 421}}{{perNBCA|Robertson JA}}{{atL|29vmr|4}}<br>
</ref>

An increase in ineligibility can be used to "express denunciation" and to reflect the "community's revulsion over the offence."<ref>
{{ibid1|Hawkins}}{{atL|2fdkz|42}}<br>
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

==Principles==
Any murder is considered brutal and vicious.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Paterson|1fnbx|2001 BCCA 11 (CanLII)|151 CCC (3d) 1}}{{perBCCA|Hall JA}} (2:1) {{atL|1fnbx|30}}
</ref>

; Second Degree Murder
The penalty is a mandatory life sentence with a parole ineligibility period of between 10 and 25 years.

Sentencing for second degree murder is governed by s. 745(c), 745.2, and 745.4 in addition to the regular sentencing provisions.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Ledesma|hzbr4|2019 ABQB 204 (CanLII)}}{{perABQB|Gates J}}{{atsL|hzbr4|24| to 34}}
</ref>

The process for parole ineligibility for second-degree murder is a "very fact-sensitive process" that accounts for:<Ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Shropshire|1frgh|1995 CanLII 47 (SCC)|[1995] 4 SCR 227}}{{perSCC|Iacobucci J}}<br>
{{supra1|Ledesma}}{{AtL|hzbr4|31}}<br>
</ref>
# the character of the offender
# the nature of the offence
# the circumstances surrounding the commission of the offence.

The purpose of s. 744 is to "give the trial judge an element of discretion in sentencing to reflect the fact that within second degree murder there is both a range of seriousness and varying degrees of moral culpability"<ref>
{{supra1|Shropshire}}{{AtL|1frgh|33}}
</ref>

The variable degrees of ineligibility is meant to reflect the "varying degrees of moral culpability".<Ref>
{{supra1|Shropshire}}{{atL|1frgh|31}} ("Parliament intended to recognize that, within the category of second-degree murder, there will be a broad range of seriousness reflecting varying degrees of moral culpability.")<br>
</ref>

The starting point is that the sentence should be 10-year ineligibility that can be increased according to the principles in s. 744.<ref>
{{supra1|Shropshire}}{{atL|1frgh|29}}
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}


==Factors==

Aggravating factors for murder include:
* the degree of brutality and viciousness;<Ref>
Hindessa, 2011 ONCA 477<Br>
{{CanLIIR|Fernandes|hx9x8|2018 ONSC 7784 (CanLII)}}{{perONSC|Fuerst J}}
</ref>
* Efforts to conceal the body<Ref>
{{CanLIIR|Boukhalfa, 2017 ONCA 660}}
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}


==Ranges==
{{seealsoRanges|Homicide}}

===Second Degree===
Parole ineligibility of 20 years or more are "reserved for offenders who have established patterns of violence" which infers a high risk to re-offend.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Hutchinson|g6pwr|2014 NSSC 155 (CanLII)}}{{perNSSC|Cacchione J}}{{atL|g6pwr|53}}
</ref>

In Nova Scotia, the parole ineligibility is set within the range of 12 to 15 years.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Hawkins|2fdl5|2011 NSCA 6 (CanLII)|265 CCC (3d) 472}}{{perNSCA|Beveridge JA}} <br>
{{CanLIIRP|Ward|fn0kk|2011 NSCA 78 (CanLII)|975 APR 216}}{{perNSCA|Saunders JA}}<br>
</ref>

Only in the extreme cases will the ineligibility be set at between 18 to 20 years.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Cerra|1jb0m|2004 BCCA 594 (CanLII)|192 CCC (3d) 78}}{{perBCCA|Donald JA}}{{atL|1jb0m|17}}: (“...parole eligibility greater than 10 years is justified when there is some particularly aggravating feature; for a penalty of greater than 15 years, egregious circumstances of a higher order of moral culpability are present.”)</ref>

; Intimate Partner Homicide
Murder of a spouse will usually be in the range of 10 to 15 years.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Tan|1f0l5|1996 CanLII 2500 (BCCA)|75 BCAC 181}}{{perBCCA|Prowse JA}}</ref>

In Ontario, domestic homicide of an unarmed partner has a range of 12 to 17 years.
<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Czibulka|2fh90|2011 ONCA 82 (CanLII)|267 CCC (3d) 276}}{{perONCA|Laskin JA}}, suggests an upper range of 17 years<br>
{{CanLIIRP|McKnight|1f9fp|1999 CanLII 3717 (ON CA)|135 CCC (3d) 41}}{{perONCA|Laskin JA}} (2:1){{atL|1f9fp|48}}, (“No two cases are the same but similar cases from this province of brutal second-degree murders of an unarmed wife or girlfriend suggest a range of 12 to 15 years.”) 
</ref>
This range was moved up from a bottom range of 10 years.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Praljak|fvrxq|2013 ONSC 298 (CanLII)}}{{perONSC|Dambrot J}}{{atL|fvrxq|17}}
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

==Ancillary Sentencing Order==
; Offence-specific Orders
{{AOrderHeader}}

{{AOrder1| [[DNA Orders]] |s. 235 |
* {{PrimDNA1|s. 235}} }}

{{AOrder1| [[SOIRA Orders]]|s. 230 and 231 | 
* {{SOIRA2|C|s. 230 or 231}} }}

{{AOrder1| [[Weapons Prohibition Orders]]|s. 230 to 236 |
* {{Section109|A|s. 230 to 236}} }}

{{AOrderEnd}}

; General Sentencing Orders
{{GeneralSentencingOrders}}

; General Forfeiture Orders
{{GeneralForfeitureOrders}}

==Record Suspensions and Pardons== 
{{NoRecordSuspension-Life|s. 230 to 236}}

==History==
{{seealso|List of Criminal Code Amendments|Table of Concordance (Criminal Code)}}
===2001 to 2009===
{{quotation1|
; Classification of murder
231 (1) Murder is first degree murder or second degree murder.
<br>
; Planned and deliberate murder
(2) Murder is first degree murder when it is planned and deliberate.
<br>
; Contracted murder
(3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (2), murder is planned and deliberate when it is committed pursuant to an arrangement under which money or anything of value passes or is intended to pass from one person to another, or is promised by one person to another, as consideration for that other’s causing or assisting in causing the death of anyone or counselling another person to do any act causing or assisting in causing that death.
<br>
; Murder of peace officer, etc.
(4) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder when the victim is
:(a) a police officer, police constable, constable, sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff’s officer or other person employed for the preservation and maintenance of the public peace, acting in the course of his duties;
:(b) a warden, deputy warden, instructor, keeper, jailer, guard or other officer or a permanent employee of a prison, acting in the course of his duties; or
:(c) a person working in a prison with the permission of the prison authorities and acting in the course of his work therein.

; Hijacking, sexual assault or kidnapping
(5) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder in respect of a person when the death is caused by that person while committing or attempting to commit an offence under one of the following sections:
:(a) section 76 (hijacking an aircraft);
:(b) section 271 (sexual assault);
:(c) section 272 (sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm);
:(d) section 273 (aggravated sexual assault);
:(e) section 279 (kidnapping and forcible confinement); or
:(f) section 279.1 (hostage taking).

; Criminal harassment
(6) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused by that person while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 264 and the person committing that offence intended to cause the person murdered to fear for the safety of the person murdered or the safety of anyone known to the person murdered.
<br>
; Murder during terrorist activity
(6.01) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an indictable offence under this or any other Act of Parliament where the act or omission constituting the offence also constitutes a terrorist activity.
<br>
; Using explosives in association with criminal organization
(6.1) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 81 for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a criminal organization.
<br>
; Intimidation
(6.2) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 423.1.
<br>
; Second degree murder
(7) All murder that is not first degree murder is second degree murder.
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. C-46}}, s. 231; R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.)}}, ss. 7, 35, 40, 185(F), c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 18(F); {{LegHistory90s|1997, c. 16}}, s. 3, c. 23, s. 8; {{LegHistory00s|2001, c. 32}}, s. 9, c. 41, s. 9.

|[http://canlii.ca/t/hzc3#sec239 CCC]
}}

==See Also==
* [[Homicide (Trial Verdicts)]]

; References
* [[Pre-Trial and Trial Motions Checklist]]

{{OffencesNavBar/Homicide}}


[[Category:Unconstitutional Offences]]