The B.C. Supreme Court has found a section of the Criminal Code unconstitutional because it treats all offenders convicted of first-degree murder the same, regardless of the number of people they kill.

The court ruled in a decision released this week that the code’s provision requiring first-degree murderers be sentenced to 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole violated Charter guarantees against cruel and unusual punishment.

Criminal code amendments mean that people convicted of killing one person receive the same sentence as those who kill multiple people, the ruling notes{ai:summary}<p>The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that a section of the Criminal Code is unconstitutional for imposing the same 25-year parole eligibility on all first-degree murderers, irrespective of the number of victims. This decision highlights concerns over cruel and unusual punishment under the Charter. #crime</p>

Requiring all first-degree murderers to serve 25 years before parole eligibility unconstitutional: B.C. ruling

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