The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Alexandre Bissonnette, who went on a deadly shooting spree at a Quebec City mosque in January 2017, will be eligible for parole after 25-years in prison.

In a historic decision that will affect sentences for the most serious crimes, the high court has struck down the 2011 Criminal Code provision, that permitted judges to impose consecutive life sentences and parole ineligibility periods in multiple murder cases.

The justices found it violated the Charter of Rights guarantee against cruel or unusual treatment as it could deny offenders a realistic possibility of being paroled before they die.

The Supreme Court also said anyone sentenced under that provision, whose wait for parole is over 25-years but less than 50, can go to court to try to prove their Charter rights were violated.