Strasbourg Observers

View posts from: R v Bissonette

  • Dirk van Zyl Smit

R v. Bissonnette: Supreme Court of Canada builds on ECtHR precedents to outlaw whole life imprisonment, and develops principles applicable also to extradition that may lead to such sentences.

June 28, 2022

By Dirk van Zyl Smit One of the most challenging responsibilities of courts all over the world is imposing the appropriate penalty on persons convicted of the most heinous crimes.  While penalties must reflect the need for denunciation, they must also respect human rights principles, lest they undermine the recognition of the fundamental human dignity […]