Sentencing in British Columbia, Canada: An Analysis of Recent Trends

• In Event: Judicial Discretion in Canada and the Effects of Legislative Constraints on Sentencing

Abstract

Canadian judges have considerable discretion when selecting sentences for those found guilty of criminal offences. Previous research has found that this discretion may result in patterns of variation across courthouses and provinces within the country. A limitation of this body of research, however, is that most studies employ cross-sectional analyses, exploring patterns within a single time period. Consequently, it is unknown whether patterns of variation in sentencing remain stable or change over time. The current study employs a multi-year research database of court records to address this issue. Specifically, sentencing dispositions handed down in a subset of large caseload courts in the province of British Columbia are analysed using an econometric time-series analysis technique to detect temporal patterns over an eight-year period.

Authors

• Andrew Reid, Simon Fraser University

• David MacAlister, Simon Fraser University

• Martin Andresen, Simon Fraser University