Amendments to the Criminal Code last year were intended to lessen the burden on courts across the country by reducing the number of unnecessary bail hearings.
One change toward that end involved encouraging the use of “undertakings,” by expanding the range of conditions that police are allowed to impose on accused persons in exchange for their release, without having to first go before a judge. As a check on this, the amendments said that police should only put in place conditions that are reasonable and necessary.