OTTAWA - The one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography are unconstitutional, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday.

In a 5-4 decision, the top court said although the sentences contribute to the objectives of denunciation and deterrence, they also remove judges' discretion to impose sentences other than imprisonment when appropriate.

Conservative politicians swiftly denounced the ruling.

In a social media post, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the judgment "outrageous" and urged the federal government to overturn it using the Constitution's notwithstanding clause.

Conservative MP Larry Brock, the party's justice critic, said the decision was a "disgusting and cruel insult" to victims.

The decision affirmed a ruling of the Quebec

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