Why do sentences for wealthy or influential persons seem less severe than those for others? Are conditional discharges appropriate for serious property crimes?
As you will be aware, the site provides general information about the Provincial Court and BC justice system, and it is not open to me to comment on individual cases. Any comments provided are for information only and cannot be used as legal advice or authority in court or other legal proceedings. I can provide some comments on sentencing in general, and will offer the initial opinion that a survey of the hundreds of sentencing cases dealt with in the courts every year would not likely disclose a tendency to sentence more leniently based upon offenders’ status in life, but may reflect their previous contributions to the community and prior character. I will outline some of the principles involved in the granting of conditional discharges, and in sentencing, for instance, in a case of theft over $5000. That offence is one that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years incarceration. (Maximum sentences are by law reserved for cases that are among the worst cases committed by offenders who a
