Supreme Court to examine minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will delve into the question of minimum prison sentences for fentanyl trafficking.

The high court has agreed to jointly hear the appeals of two men who received stiffer penalties when Alberta’s Court of Appeal ruled that convictions for wholesale fentanyl trafficking should carry a minimum sentence of nine years.

As a result of the minimum penalty, Cameron O’Lynn Parranto was sentenced to two consecutive seven-year terms on counts of trafficking in fentanyl.

In another case, Patrick Felix was sentenced to two concurrent 10-year terms.

The Appeal Court noted in the Felix decision that fentanyl trafficking had created a crisis in Alberta and across the country.

As usual, the Supreme Court gave no reason for agreeing to hear the matter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press