Local lawyers say the federal bill could be unconstitutional, putting even more pressure on an already overstretched system.

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As judicial delays in Ottawa reach crisis levels , some lawyers argue the federal government’s new Protecting Victims Act may be unconstitutional and actually make the situation worse. Article content

Justice Minister Sean Fraser tabled the legislation Dec. 9, proposing sweeping changes to the Criminal Code that aim to protect survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence, as well as children and youth. Article content Article content

The bill, if passed, would make femicide and murders motivated by hate first-degree murders, even if they weren’t deliberate or planned, if the Crown can prove there was a pattern of abuse, coercive or

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