Judge Rules: Immigration Status No Excuse for Stalking

0:00A Quebec judge just dropped a ruling that shakes up the debate on how immigration status affects criminal sentences. In a Montreal case, a 46-year-old immigrant guy pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend for six months after she dumped him. He wanted her as a second wife, citing Sharia Law, but the judge said no way immigration consequences can't twist a fair sentence or create a two-tier. Justice system for non-citizens, the man, who came to Canada in 2018 from the Philippines, kept stalking her even after arrest, breaching his release conditions. His lawyer pushed for a conditional discharge to dodge deportation and protect his permanent residency bid, since his family was still overseas. But judge Dennis Gallietzado shut that down, stressing courts aren't in the immigration business. This hits amid a bigger national conversation, with folks worried immigrants get lighter slaps on the wrist to avoid getting kicked out. Appeal courts have already overturned some soft sentences in domestic cases, swapping them for real jail time to keep things equal for citizens and newcomers alike.

1:04Federal conservatives are all over it. Asked fall, ump Michelle Rampell-Garner, tabled Bill C220, banning judges from factoring in deportation, risks. Their leader, Pierre Poiliev, straight-up said criminals who aren't citizens, should just get shown the door. In the end, the judge hit the harasser with 75 days of intermittent jail on Wednesdays and Thursdays, plus three years probation. It's a sharp reminder that stalking rooted in control gets no pass, deportation or not, keeping the scales balanced in Canadian courts. You've been listening to Vancouver News today, AI-powered local news.