Dangerous Offenders

The specific focus of this paper is on the Dangerous Offender provisions in Part XXI of our Criminal Code.' However, the issues that arise in any form of preventive detention2 go to the heart of our criminal justice system. Hence, these provisions will be used as a vehicle for dealing with the broader issues. Ethical considerations will be discussed as they arise. The paper begins with an analysis of the history of Part XXI, with emphasis on the moral and legal problems that had to be faced as the legislation developed. The legislative history and the case law are important tools in the analysis but they are only a means to an end. In this case, the end is to present the problems inherent in preventive detention.