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The bill would also give judges the discretion to impose those life sentences in other first-degree murder convictions.

The bill would make significant changes to sentencing: “When a criminal kills more than one person, under our law, judges can now impose consecutive sentences and take every lost life into account,” Harper said.

Without the text of the bill, which won’t be revealed until next week, it’s hard to parse the exact implications of the planned legislation.

Some have also suggested there are few if any examples where the legal change would have prevented someone dangerous from being released.

“The number of people that have been released for these kinds of offenses is a very small list… and it only happens when the circumstances are truly warranted,” said Boris Bytensky, a criminal lawyer with Adler Bytensky Prutschi Shikhman.

“Most dangerous killers are already denied parole and held for life,” NDP justice critic Francoise Boivin said in a statement.

“I think it sends a message the government doesn’t trust the parole board to do the right thing,” Bytenksy said, adding he doesn’t really see the point. “Recidivism rates on paroled murderers are extremely low.”

He also said it could make jails even more dangerous and costly to run, as removing any hope of release removes the incentive to behave well, which creates a more violent experience for offenders who will be released.