Lethbridge Herald: Canada’s Revolving Door of Justice Is Costing Lives

“If you want to commit a crime, come to Canada.”

These were the harrowing words spoken by the mother of Laura Furlan after her daughter was brutally murdered in a Calgary park by Christopher Ward Dunlop. Fifteen years later, on February 16, 2025, Dunlop claimed another life—that of Judy Maerz—in the very same park.

The comment may sound extreme, but it reflects a hard and painful truth: Canada’s justice system is failing. A known killer was given the freedom to reoffend. Two women are dead, and two families are forever changed—all because a violent offender was granted another chance.

Statistics Canada reports that violent crime has surged by 55 per cent in recent years. While many factors contribute to this increase, there’s no denying the role of weak bail policies and a soft-on-crime approach that has turned the justice system into a revolving door for repeat offenders.

What we’re seeing is not just a policy failure—it’s a public safety crisis.

In July, Bailey McCourt—a mother of two from Kelowna, B.C.—was brutally attacked and killed with a hammer. The man charged with her murder was her ex-husband, James Plover. He now faces a second-degree murder charge and is waiting to be sentenced.

At the time of the murder, Plover was out on bail. His release cost just $500.

To McCourt’s grieving family, this isn’t just shocking—it’s proof that something is deeply wrong with Canada’s bail system. In response, they’ve put forward four recommendations to the federal government. At the top of the list: reforming bail rules for high-risk domestic offenders.

They’re also asking that courts be required to consider lethality risk indicators—warning signs that suggest a person may seriously harm or kill their partner—when deciding whether someone should be granted bail.

This tragedy, and the weak legal response that followed, has left many Canadians wondering: how many more lives have to be lost before meaningful change is made?

Sadly, this pattern repeats itself across the country. In December 2022, Const. Greg Pierzchala of Ontario was shot and killed in the line of duty by two men—both out on bail. Const. Pierzchala’s death sparked a rare and unified call to action from Canada’s leading police associations. Officers across the country are urging the federal government to reform the very bail policies that allowed this tragedy to happen.

Despite clear evidence that the system is broken, the government continues to delay meaningful reform. When Conservative MP Frank Caputo raised the issue during debate on Bill C-2, highlighting that the legislation did not address bail, Liberal MPs mocked him.

Canadians want and deserve bail reform. We want a justice system that takes violent offenders seriously and prioritizes the safety of law-abiding citizens over the comfort of criminals.

It is unacceptable that someone who plots to bomb a synagogue, stating his goal was “to kill as many Jews as possible,” walks away with 60 days of house arrest. This is not justice—it is a dangerous erosion of public trust.

Just last month in Ontario, 36-year-old Medhani Yohans—already facing charges related to violence and sexual assault—was arrested again only 24 hours after being released. His new charges included breaching probation, disobeying court orders, and criminal harassment.

This cycle of release and reoffending is exhausting our police forces, putting communities at risk, and leaving victims without protection. A justice system that allows repeat offenders to walk free is one that fails in its most basic duty.

Law enforcement officials have told me directly: they are frustrated, exhausted, and demoralized. They work hard to keep us safe, only to see their efforts undone by weak policies that favour offenders over public safety.

Across Canada, people are losing faith in the justice system—and rightly so. The message being sent is that even the most serious crimes carry little consequence, and that repeat offenders will be given endless second chances.

We cannot let that message stand.

The lives of Laura Furlan, Judy Maerz, Bailey McCourt, and Constable Greg Pierzchala were not just statistics. They were people with families, futures, and the right to feel safe in their own communities. Their deaths are the direct result of a system that refuses to adapt to the growing threat of violent crime.

Bail reform is not a partisan demand. It is a moral imperative. It is the bare minimum we should expect from a government responsible for protecting its citizens.

Bail reform isn’t just a political debate; it’s a matter of life and death.