Justin Bourque, the 24-year-old Moncton man who gunned down three RCMP officers this spring has been sentenced to a 75-year prison sentence. He will not be eligible for parole until he is 99 years old. This is the longest sentence in Canadian history and the most severe penalty since the death penalty was abolished in 1962. The Criminal Code was amended in 2011 to allow for consecutive sentences such as this. Prior to the change, only concurrent sentences were possible. Thus, Mr. Bourque was sentenced to three consecutive sentences of 25 years each for first-degree murder. The sentencing justice called it a difficult case and one of the most horrific crimes in the history of Canada. The defence lawyer said he had no plans to appeal and commented that he did not think that the sentence would be considered “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Charter of Rights.
R v Bourque, 2014 NBQB 237 (CanLII)
Michael McDonald, Bourque to serve at least 75 years in prison, National Newswatch (Oct. 31, 2014)
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