Ontario’s new mandatory cash bail rules took effect this week, but an Ontario Superior Court judge declined to apply them in one case.
In Milton, Justice Scott Cowan released a woman charged with human trafficking on a $1,000 pledge without requiring an upfront cash deposit. The new law requires people ordered to post cash bail to pay the full amount within 48 hours.
The woman was one of nine people arrested in an investigation into an alleged commercial sexual exploitation network. Her lawyer said she has no criminal record and is presumed innocent, calling the ruling a “courageous decision.”
Premier Doug Ford’s office criticized the decision, saying the justice system has a duty to keep human traffickers behind bars.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Criminal Lawyers’ Association have launched a constitutional challenge, arguing the law unfairly creates different standards of justice based on a person’s ability to pay.
