Bail denials rising sharply in Ontario amid national clampdown
The number of bail denials in Ontario has reached its highest level since 2018, with a significant increase over the past two years. This trend reflects a broader national pattern of increasing bail denials amid rising public concern over crime. New federal legislation aims to tighten bail laws, further contributing to the growing number of individuals held in custody without trial.
- ▪In 2025, judges in Ontario denied bail to 4,897 individuals, representing 4.7 percent of all cases completed that year.
- ▪Statistics Canada reported a record 8,024 people in Ontario jails on remand as of September 2023 due to bail denials.
- ▪About 40 percent of bail denials in Ontario in 2025 were for serious accusations such as murder and sexual assault.
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Open this photo in gallery:New data from the Ontario Court of Justice show that bail denial is a long-established trend across the country, one that Ontario has led in recent years.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountThe number of people denied bail in Ontario last year spiked to its highest level in data going back to 2018, and has more than doubled over the past two years.The new data from the Ontario Court of Justice are the latest indication of how the justice system applies the law of bail on a day-to-day basis. The 2025 numbers are more evidence that courts across the country are denying bail to an increasing number of people.
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