"Negligent" extreme intoxication bill tabled by Liberals after Supreme Court ruling

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The Canadian federal Liberals tabled a bill on Friday meant to eliminate "self-induced extreme intoxication" as a legal defence for violent crimes. The move is in response to a Supreme Court ruling last month that found a previous change to the Criminal Code preventing the defence from being used was unconstitutional.

This time, the Liberals are amending the code so a person could be held responsible for violence committed in a state of extreme intoxication, if they ended up in that state through their own criminal negligence.

Asked why Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti felt the new bill was "Charter-proof," meaning it couldn't also face a constitutional challenge like the amendment overturned by the Supreme Court, he said the court gave potential ways forward and also spoke with legal experts and stakeholder groups to determine the best way to respond.