The new Canadian Minister of Justice said on Monday that the government will work to address the increasing sense of insecurity felt by certain segments of the population, although it is empirically unlikely that Canadians are less safe from crime.

Arif Virani, a Member of Parliament from Toronto, was appointed Minister of Justice in a broad cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last night.

Virani, who came to Canada as a refugee from Uganda in 1972, stated that the high-profile attacks on public transportation in Toronto and elsewhere contributed to the sense of insecurity.

Virani told Reuters in an interview on Monday, "I think it is empirically unlikely that Canada becomes less safe, but I believe there is a feeling coming out of the pandemic that people's safety is more at risk."

According to Statistics Canada, the rate of reported crime by police in the country rose by 5% last year, with the violent crime rate increasing by 2%. A poll conducted by Leger in April found that nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed believe that crime has increased in their area.

In March, a 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed at a subway station in Toronto in what police described as a random attack. The following month, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed and killed on a bus in Surrey, British Columbia. Calgary police sought suspects in what they said were random attacks on pedestrians last spring.

Virani said, "The government also wants to target the root causes of crime, such as housing and health."

Virani, who has worked as a lawyer, will take on his first ministerial position, but he noted that he has experience as a parliamentary secretary in the justice file, and he will oversee the government's legislation to reform bail that would shift the burden of proof onto some defendants seeking pre-trial release.

In response to a question about whether there is evidence that bail reform legislation is necessary or would help, Virani said the government has heard calls for stricter bail rules from a unified group of stakeholders, adding that while this evidence cannot be denied, the government must be attuned to what Canadians are seeking.

The new minister's mandate also includes medical assistance in dying, and the government has yet to decide whether it will allow advance requests for assistance in dying and whether it will permit those under the age of 18 to access medical assistance in dying if they are deemed capable of making that decision.

Canada will allow those whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness to access assisted dying starting in March.

Virani did not provide a timeline for this decision but stated that his government is considering how to balance autonomy and protection, saying, "What we are always trying to do is ensure that we provide people with autonomy and freedom of choice while also safeguarding the vulnerable."