Canada Tightens Bail and Sentencing Rules for Retail Theft and Transit Violence

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published June 26, 2026

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Canada has passed a major criminal justice reform law that will make bail rules stricter and sentencing tougher for several categories of repeat and violent offences, including organized retail theft and violence against transit workers. The Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, known as Bill C-14, received Royal Assent on June 15, 2026, and its bail and sentencing reforms are scheduled to come into force on July 15, 2026.

The federal government says the new law includes more than 80 targeted changes to the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act. The changes are intended to make bail harder to obtain in specific cases involving repeat or violent offending, while also giving courts stronger tools at sentencing when crimes affect public safety, workers or essential services.

One of the most important parts of the reform is the expansion of reverse onus bail provisions. In certain cases, this means the accused person will have to show the court why they should be released on bail, instead of the Crown carrying the full burden of proving why detention is necessary. The government says this approach is aimed at serious repeat offenders and cases where public safety is a major concern.

The law also requires courts to give more weight to public safety, victims and witnesses when making bail decisions. It directs judges to consider whether an alleged offence involved random or unprovoked violence, and whether the accused has a large or serious number of outstanding charges.

For small business owners and retail workers, the reform is especially significant because it adds new sentencing tools for retail theft, particularly where theft is repeated, organized or connected to broader criminal activity. Retail groups have argued that shoplifting and organized retail crime are no longer minor business losses, but a growing safety and financial pressure on stores, workers and customers.

The law also expands protections for transit workers. Crimes against workers in public transportation can now be treated more seriously at sentencing as an aggravating factor. This matters not only for bus drivers and train operators, but also for other frontline transit staff such as fare inspectors, station staff and customer service employees.

The federal government says the reform also targets other serious offences, including violent auto theft, home invasion, extortion, human trafficking and some weapons-related crimes. In some cases, the law allows or requires consecutive sentences, meaning offenders may face longer combined penalties when multiple serious crimes are involved.