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

Nanaimo RCMP need public's help in cracking down on dangerous driving

Mounties in Nanaimo are asking for the public's help in cracking down on motorcycle riders operating dangerously in the Vancouver Island city. R-C-M-P say they have received numerous reports of riders performing wheelies, driving on the wrong side of the road and driving on sidewalks at high speeds -- and many of the stunts have been filmed, with videos posted to social media.

Nanaimo RCMP need public's help in cracking down on dangerous driving

What To Expect At The 2024 Darpan Awards

It’s the final countdown for one of the most awaited nights of the year for the South Asian community in Canada—the 2024 DARPAN Extraordinary Achievement Awards, proudly presented by RBC. This year, the celebration is even more special as DARPAN Magazine marks a spectacular 20 years of bringing forth the stories, successes and contributions of incredible South Asians across the world.

What To Expect At The 2024 Darpan Awards

Grain farmers urge intervention as Metro Vancouver terminal workers prep strike

Canada's grain farmers say a strike at Metro Vancouver terminals would cripple crop exports if it were allowed to take place. The Grain Growers of Canada say in a statement that it is "deeply concerned" about a potential strike of grain workers in Metro Vancouver, since about 52 per cent of all Canadian-grown grain went to those terminals last year.

Grain farmers urge intervention as Metro Vancouver terminal workers prep strike

Video shows B.C. Conservative Rustad saying he regrets getting 'so-called vaccine'

The NDP has shared a video of B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad saying he regrets getting the "so-called vaccine" against COVID-19. The video shows Rustad directly addressing a camera and saying vaccine mandates were "not so much" about achieving herd immunity or stopping the spread of the disease as they were about "shaping opinion and control of the population."

Video shows B.C. Conservative Rustad saying he regrets getting 'so-called vaccine'

Crime, disorder take centre stage in B.C. election, but statistics tell complex story

David Screech doesn't mince words when asked about street disorder and crime around his business in downtown Victoria. He described vehicle break-ins, people defecating on or near his store property, and someone pulling a knife on an employee in the store's parking lot.

Crime, disorder take centre stage in B.C. election, but statistics tell complex story

Early days of B.C. campaign sees NDP, Conservatives trade barbs over housing, drugs

Drug policy and housing shortages are emerging as the top issues early in British Columbia's election campaign. New Democrat Leader David Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad spent much of the campaign's first weekend traversing Metro Vancouver, from Richmond to North Vancouver to Surrey to Langley, signaling the importance of winning ridings in urban areas.