National

Poilievre wants 'reasonable' self-defence defined in Criminal Code

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Aug, 2025 08:50 AM

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wants the government to amend the Criminal Code to say that the use of force is presumed to be reasonable to defend your home is someone breaks into it.

He says if the government doesn't do this, his party will introduce a private member's bill aimed at making the change this fall during a press conference in Brampton, Ont..

This comes after a 44-year-old Lindsay, Ont. man was charged with assault in an altercation after a man with a crossbow allegedly broke into his apartment.

The alleged intruder, a 41-year-old man also from Lindsay, was airlifted to hospital in Toronto with life-threatening injuries.

The chief of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service has defended the assault charge against the victim of the alleged break-in, saying defensive action must be proportionate to the threat faced.

The Criminal Code says that someone is allowed to protect themselves in a break-in as long as force used is "reasonable in the circumstances."

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Explosion destroys Calgary townhouse, four people injured

The Calgary Fire Department says investigators are working to find out what caused a townhouse explosion in the city's southeast that injured four people. Crews were called Thursday afternoon to the Mahogany neighbourhood and, while en route, they saw flames and a large plume of smoke from several blocks away.

Explosion destroys Calgary townhouse, four people injured

First Nation considers legal options as B.C. approves mining permit 'without consent'

The Xatśull First Nation says it is "disappointed" that British Columbia's Mines Ministry has granted an operating permit for the Cariboo Gold Mine without meeting its leadership or obtaining the nation's consent. The mine is on the nation's territory in central B.C. and it issued a statement earlier this month calling for the project to be halted until the nation had given its consent.

First Nation considers legal options as B.C. approves mining permit 'without consent'

New B.C. storm brings 100 km/h winds with some Vancouver Island homes still in dark

BC Hydro is warning customers in remote areas of Vancouver Island that they may be without power until late Saturday, as winds from another powerful storm hit the coast. The latest in a series of fall storms has brought gusts up to 100 km/h but Environment Canada says it isn't as strong as the bomb cyclone that knocked out power to more than 300,000 properties this week.

New B.C. storm brings 100 km/h winds with some Vancouver Island homes still in dark

Jury deliberations begin in trial of human smuggling, frozen migrant family

Jurors began deliberations Friday in the trial of two men accused of human smuggling across the Canada-U.S. border between Manitoba and Minnesota. They are tasked with deciding whether to convict or acquit Steve Shand and Harshkumar Patel on four charges.

Jury deliberations begin in trial of human smuggling, frozen migrant family

Canada Post losses top $300M as strike enters second week

Canada Post saw hundreds of millions of dollars drain out of its coffers last quarter, due largely to its dwindling share of the parcels market — while an ongoing strike continues to batter its bottom line. The Crown corporation said Friday it lost $315 million before tax in the third quarter, larger than its $290 million loss a year earlier.

Canada Post losses top $300M as strike enters second week

3rd deer infected with chronic wasting disease

A new case of chronic wasting disease, an incurable illness that has the potential to decimate deer populations, has been identified in British Columbia. The B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said the discovery of the infection in a white-tailed deer hunted in the Kootenay region last month brought the total number of confirmed cases in the province to three, after two cases were confirmed in February.