In Canada, a new piece of federal legislation would mandate two-year minimum sentences for frauds of more than $1 million. The Globe and Mail reports that Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was not aware of any cases where judges actually gave serious fraudsters lighter sentences than the proposed minimum, but he said the new bill will create a tough “base” for future white collar crime penalties.
In addition, the proposed bill will set forth “aggravating factors” that judges can use to issue tougher sentences, up to a maximum of 14 years. These factors reportedly include the psychological and financial devastation of the victim, efforts by the perpetrator to hide their tracks by destroying records, and the amount of planning and complexity of the fraud.
