Return to Smith? Harper-Era Mandatory Minimum Sentences in Canadian Courts (2008-2023).

The article examines the treatment of mandatory minimum sentences (MMS) by the Canadian Supreme Court and appellate courts when subjected to Charter challenges during the administration of Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2008 to 2015. Topics discussed include federal government's judicial discretion for sentencing, MMS jurisprudence at the Supreme Court, constitutionality of MMS, institutional role of courts and legislatures in sentencing, and relationship between legislature and judiciary.