“There is a huge difference between ‘repeat offenders’ as they are understood in the justice system and as it seems it is being used publicly,” says criminal lawyer Kyla Lee.
A recent slew of Vancouver Police Department news releases has referred to alleged and/or convicted perpetrators of crime as “repeat offenders.” Members of the public have taken to social media to criticize the B.C. justice system for releasing offenders out on bail or on promises to appear if it offers them the opportunity to re-offend in the meantime.
What is a “repeat offender”?
“A repeat offender is a person who has committed and been convicted of the same offence or class of offences on multiple occasions,” defines Lee. “Repeat offender is not a legally correct or accurate term for a person who has been charged with an offence a second time or charged with multiple offences for which they have not been convicted. Everyone who is charged with an offence is entitled to be presumed innocent of it if and until proven guilty.”
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