Canada's Supreme Court struck down key policies of the former Conservative government that aimed to deter crimes by effectively jailing convicts for longer, in a pair of rulings Friday. Historically Canadian courts had broad discretion in sentencing, but the Tories led by Stephen Harper changed that in 2010 by imposing mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. The amendments targeted violent and repeat offenders, but in split decisions the Supreme Court found them to be overbroad and unjust.
