There's this bit of info from http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISINFO/index.asp?List=ls&Query=5273&Session=15&Language=e#constitutionality

B. Constitutionality of Mandatory Minimum Sentences

Mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment are generally inconsistent with the fundamental principle that a sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender,(9) as they do not allow a judge to make any exception in an appropriate case. However, this does not necessarily mean that a minimum sentence is unconstitutional. A mandatory minimum sentence may constitute cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,(10) if it is possible for the mandatory punishment, in a specific matter or reasonable hypothetical case, to be “grossly disproportionate,” given the gravity of the offence or the personal circumstances of the offender.

By way of example, the Supreme Court of Canada concluded in 1987 that a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of seven years for importing or exporting a narcotic constituted cruel and unusual punishment because it failed to take into account the nature and quantity of the substance, the reason for the offence, or the absence of any previous convictions.(11) The applicable provision was accordingly struck down. Conversely, the current mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison for criminal negligence causing death, where a firearm is used, was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000, on the basis that such an offence necessarily involves wanton and reckless disregard for life and safety.(12)

That kind of insidious but necessary policing unfortunately is also expensive.

Meanwhile, in a nearby observatory, computer scientist Ray Bering (Gabriel Byrne) spends his nights gazing through telescopes that are pointing down, not up. Ray is involved in developing a top-secret government surveillance project that is supposed to cut down police response time to a crime. However, as the project approaches fruition, Ray becomes concerned that, in the wrong hands, it could be horribly misused. His fears are given form one night when he watches from afar as two men are gunned down.