Premier Pillai urges federal action on bail reform

On March 18, 2025, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai joined Canada’s Premiers in sending a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging the federal government to take immediate action on bail reform and to strengthen public safety measures. The letter, which builds on past efforts by the Yukon and other provinces and territories, calls for comprehensive legislative changes to address critical issues in Canada’s bail system.

While the Government of Yukon believes that legal experts are best placed to advise on issues of criminal law, there is widespread agreement across provinces and territories that evidence-based reform is needed for Canada’s bail system. Careful consideration of the broader impact on public safety and individual rights must be considered, but so must the experiences of victims of crime, their families and Yukon communities.

The letter commended the federal government’s amendments introduced through Bill C-48, but notes that while these changes represent progress, they do not fully address the ongoing risk posed by violent and repeat offenders released on bail.

Key points of the letter include the need for:

• swifter action: The Government of Yukon was pleased to see that in response to previous calls from the Premiers for bail reform, the federal government committed to amending the Criminal Code to address the bail system in the December 2024 Fall Economic Statement. The Government of Yukon urges the Government of Canada to move forward with these efforts as soon as possible.
• enhanced data monitoring: The letter stresses the need for the Department of Justice Canada to allocate resources to support provinces and territories in collecting, analyzing and reporting reliable data on bail and probation, including to monitor the effectiveness of the legislative changes brought into force through C-48. Improved data collection and sharing is a part of the Government of Yukon’s improvements to repeat offender management within the territory.
• shared responsibility: The Premiers’ letter acknowledges that while provincial and territorial governments are actively addressing interconnected issues such as poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma and mental health, the federal government must lead in enacting meaningful legislative reform in criminal law, over which it has exclusive jurisdiction.

Additionally, the Government of Yukon is continuing to focus on public safety by:

• increasing funding for the RCMP by $5.2 million in Budget 2025–26, bringing the total investment in the RCMP for the upcoming fiscal year to $47 million. This increased funding will result in the creation of eight new RCMP positions, including new officers for specialized teams, permanent funding for two officer positions with Car 867 and two additional officers for the Whitehorse detachment. The funding in this year’s budget also supports modernized equipment for safer policing and public accountability. This funding is subject to legislative approval.
• leading work with the City of Whitehorse, the Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative and the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities to develop a multi-year Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan for Whitehorse, including issues in the downtown core. This roadmap will identify local safety concerns, set priorities and outline actionable steps to reduce risk and vulnerability, while encouraging active community engagement throughout the process.
• implementing action items outlined in the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan to create a safe, vibrant and inclusive downtown for all.
• partnering with organizations like Safe at Home Society to renovate properties and launch supportive housing programs that offer safe, stable housing along with wrap-around services to support vulnerable populations.
• working with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce and industry partners to launch SafeBiz, the Whitehorse Community Safety Pilot Program, to address concerns about crime, theft and the escalation of workplace violence impacting the Whitehorse business community. With funding from the Government of Yukon, the SafeBiz program offers businesses free security assessments and recommendations, safety and de-escalation training and resources to help businesses improve their security measures.
• encouraging Yukoners to report criminal activity to the RCMP or to Crimestoppers. Yukoners can also submit complaints about certain illegal activities occurring at properties to SCAN, the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Unit, a complaint-driven process to disrupt illegal activities and improve community safety.

The Government of Yukon reaffirms its commitment to public safety and continues to call on the federal government to act swiftly to help the provinces and territories better protect communities.