Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2021
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| Other short titles | Police Reform Act of 2021 |
|---|---|
| Long title | An act to reform the systems of justice and policing in the Kingdom of Sierra |
| Acronyms (colloquial) | PJRA |
| Nicknames | Police Reform Act |
| Legislative history | |
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The Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2021 is a proposed Act of the Parliament of Sierra proposed by Maggie Chan, Member of Parliament from Santa Clara of the Democratic-Republican Party of Sierra which seeks to institute new laws in regards to law enforcement in the Kingdom of Sierra. The bill calls for police reform and seeks to institute new means of enforcing police accountability such as mandatory body cameras on police officers, a federal-level committee that oversees all police activities, and to monitor police officers and have them face trial when evidence surfaces of their usage of excessive force during arrests or raids. The bill also seeks to establish new policies for public housing, investment in social workers, and to redirect many responsibilities assigned to the police to other bodies and forms of public safety.
The bill is a moderate proposal to the Public Security Reformation Act of 2021 and is meant to be an alternative bill that focuses on police reform over defunding and police abolitionism. The bill was proposed by Chan as an alternative due to the controversy surrounding the Public Safety Reform Act which has since become one of the most divisive legislative pieces proposed by Susan Kwon and has threatened the Social Democrats' polling for the 2021 Sierran federal election. Chan stated that her bill is to be an alternative if the current Progressive Coalition decides to choose another bill and also stated that criminal justice reform was "absolutely necessary and needed".
Other contents of the bill include other reforms to criminal justice include addressing issues of racial bias in law enforcement and laws, proposes the abolition of current anti-marijuana laws and a systemic overhaul of anti-drug laws in Sierra, and calls for the abolition of cash bail in Sierra. If passed, the bill would also institute a new agency in the Ministry of Justice that would include monitoring all police activity to ensure proper conduct of police officers.
While met with its fair share of critics, the Police Reform Act has been far less controversial than the Public Security Reform Act with the former receiving more positive reception and support by comparison while the latter remains the most divisive and contested bill proposed by Kwon and has harmed the Social Democrats' standing in the polls for the upcoming 2021 federal election. The bill has received support from cross-party lines with the Christian Democrats supporting the bill.
History
Content
Reactions
Support
Chan's bill recieved 22 initial co-sponsors upon its announcement and has received more support. Generally, moderate members of the Democratic-Republican Party have rallied behind the bill along with center-right-leaning members as well in both the House of Commons and the Senate. Senators like Gary Newsom of Tahoe and Marl Glover of Cornerstone have endorsed the bill along with many Democratic-Republican MPs. More center-left and moderate Social Democrats such as Amellia Hamilton of San Joaquin have supported the bill calling it more pragmatic than Kwon's bill. Moderate and centrist Royalists in the Red Tory Association and many in the Sunday Group have also supported the bill as well.
The bill has also received support from other parties such as the Christian Democrats who have endorsed the bill after party leader Maximilien Lavallée announced his support for it two hours after its proposal calling it "pragmatic and necessary". The Honeybee Party in the Deseret also announced their support for the bill as well.
Opposition
More right-wing and nationalist factions of the Royalist Party have stated their opposition due to them opposing most police reform legislation and bills. The Royalist Patriotic Caucus called the bill "another attack on our police force" and have announced their intention to oppose it. The Royalist Study Committee, the largest parliamentary caucus in the Royalist Party, announced that its leadership would oppose the bill until "necessary changes are made or compromise is carried out to prevent radical leftist policy takeovers of our justice system".
Public opinion
While met with controversy due to opposition from many Royalist Party MPs and officials, the bill has shown signs of positive reception with early polls showcasing slim majorities/pluralities of the general public supporting the bill.
Legislative activity
| Parliament | Short title | Bill number(s) | Date introduced | Sponsor(s) | # of cosponsors | Latest status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66th Parliament | Police Reform Act of 2021 | H.R. 843 | May 11, 2021 | Maggie Chan (DR–SC) |
102 | Delayed due to election |
| 67th Parliament | Police Reform Act of 2021 | H.R. 844 | May 29, 2021 | Maggie Chan (DR–SC) |
108 | TBA |