Kaitlin Humer – The Conversation

The Ontario Courthouse at 361 University Avenue in Toronto in May 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

September 7, 2026

Ontario’s cash bail requirements face a legal wall and are based on flawed logic

Carolyn Yule, University of Guelph and Kaitlin Humer, University of Guelph

Research suggests cash bail is ineffective in ensuring those accused of crimes honour their bail conditions. Deterrence cannot be bought.

People enter and leave the courthouse in Lethbridge, Alta., in August 2024. Victims of crime need to be consulted and heeded during bail proceedings in courtrooms across Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

June 15, 2025

Canada’s ‘jail not bail’ trend: 4 ways to support victims

Carolyn Yule, University of Guelph; Kaitlin Humer, University of Guelph; Laura MacDiarmid, University of Guelph-Humber, and Sophia Lindstrom, University of Guelph

While high-profile bail cases tend to dominate media coverage, policy on criminal and legal matters must be guided by evidence, not headlines.

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