It’s a reflection of the sorry state of Canadian justice: last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the one-year mandatory minimum sentences for the offences of possessing and accessing child pornography are unconstitutional. The case, Quebec (Attorney General) v. Senneville, involved two offenders who admitted to possessing 475 and 805 files, respectively, depicting children being sexually abused in horrific ways. Despite this, the court held, 5–4, that the mandatory minimums constituted “cruel and unusual punishment” contrary to Section 12 of the Charter.

The backlash has been swift and justly deserved. Several provincial premiers, joined by federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, immediately endorsed the use of Section 33 of the Charter, also known as the notwithstand

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