Policy Watch|Canada
Supreme Court, 5–4, keeps a three-year term for a Mi’kmaw man who beat his partner, and tells judges to weigh sentencing circles
In R. v. Cope, 2026 SCC 32, released 9 October 2026, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the Crown’s appeal and left in place the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal’s cut from five years to three for aggravated assault. The majority set out a three-step method for cases where both offender and victim are Indigenous. Four judges, including the Chief Justice, dissented and would have restored five years.
Daily Teabag Desk·Centre