Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Law’10, spoke on a Queen’s Law Pro Bono Radio podcast about his two private member’s bills, one of which now forms a critical component of Canada’s bill to repeal mandatory minimum sentences.
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Law’10, spoke on a Queen’s Law Pro Bono Radio podcast about his two private member’s bills, one of which now forms a critical component of Canada’s bill to repeal mandatory minimum sentences.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Law’10 (Artsci’07), has long advocated for decriminalizing the possession of drugs. One major reason is to combat the crisis the country is facing, having seen more than 17,000 Canadians die of opioid overdoses since 2016. As a Liberal MP, he proposed two private member’s bills: one on decriminalization and another to encourage the use of diversion methods in drug possession charges. The diversion methods in his second bill are now part of the federal government’s Bill C-22 to repeal mandatory minimum sentences, tabled on February 18. 

“I introduced my bill, C-236, to push the government to take stronger action to treat drug use as a health issue, and never expected to see it become government legislation so quickly,” says Erskine-Smith, who has served as MP for the Toronto riding of Beaches-East York since 2015. “While Bill C-22 renders C-236 moot procedurally, it means that the substance of my legislative effort will unquestionably become law and it marks a significant step forward for evidence-based justice and drug policy reform.”

Earlier this month, Erskine-Smith spoke about his two bills on a podcast with Maitland Shaheen, Law’22, producer and host of Queen’s Law’s Pro Bono Radio. 

“I’m always happy to participate in any initiative at Queen’s Law,” he says. “But it’s especially nice to see Queen’s Law students engaged in and focused on substantive discussions around sensible drug policy and reforming our outdated and harmful laws.”

Erskine-Smith, the 2016 winner of his alma mater’s Dan Soberman Outstanding Young Alumni Award, has some advice for law students and junior members of the legal profession who are interested in careers in politics. “There are many different paths to politics, but my best advice is to get involved in public interest advocacy and election campaigns for practical experience, and to remember that you succeed when you are part of a community,” he says. “For me, that certainly meant my lifelong connections in Beaches-East York, but I also wouldn’t have succeeded in the nomination process without our Queen’s community, and friends who were critical early donors and volunteers. 

“And it may not seem obvious, but my studies in political/legal philosophy and jurisprudence are a big part of the way I think of my role as an MP and how I conduct myself in that role.”

Listen to the podcast, “Decriminalizing Drug Possession with MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith,” on Pro Bono Radio. 

Read what MP Erskine-Smith told Queen’s Law Reports about the legalization of cannabis before and after it became law in Canada.