Prison sentence cut in half for man who identifies as Métis – National Post

He successfully argued that the judge who sentenced him erred in the application of what are dubbed Gladue principles

Saskatchewan’s top court has cut a five-year prison sentence in half for a man Prince Rupert police caught with a handgun, ammunition and methamphetamine because the trial judge didn’t properly consider his Indigenous background and how he was affected by systemic discrimination.

Colin Umpherville, who identifies as Métis through his maternal great-grandfather, successfully argued in Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal that the judge who sentenced him made mistakes in applying what are dubbed Gladue principles. Those were set out in a Supreme Court of Canada decision a quarter century back and indicate sentencing judges must consider the unique circumstances of Indigenous offenders, as well as systemic issues like the impact of residential schools, to address the over-representation of Indigenous people in Canada’s prisons.

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