Are people really surprised that bail exists? Even in the US, most non-capital charges are eligible for bail, so why wouldn't they be here?
It's also funny that much like crime statistics show crime rates being at near all-time lows (despite people thinking the opposite), we currently have the most restrictive bail system in modern Canadian history. Not necessarily by intention, to be fair. But relative to the overall population, the current number of people being held in remand (either awaiting a bail decision or being denied bail) is about 4 times higher than it was 40 years ago. That's despite the overall incarceration rate remaining generally steady in that time period and with crime rates dropping precipitously.
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