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Bill S-237

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First Session, Forty-second Parliament,

64-65-66 Elizabeth II, 2015-2016-2017

SENATE OF CANADA

BILL S-237
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate)

FIRST READING, March 9, 2017

THE HONOURABLE SENATOR RINGUETTE

4211017


SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to reduce the criminal rate of interest from sixty per cent to the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate plus twenty per cent on credit advanced for certain purposes, which would include personal, family and household purposes. It maintains the criminal rate at sixty per cent on credit advanced for business or commercial purposes. However, business or commercial agreements under which the credit advanced equals or exceeds one million dollars are exempt from the offence of charging a criminal rate of interest.

Available on the Senate of Canada website at the following address:
www.sencanada.ca/en


1st Session, 42nd Parliament,

64-65-66 Elizabeth II, 2015-2016-2017

SENATE OF CANADA

BILL S-237

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate)

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

R.‍S.‍, c. C-46

1(1)The definition criminal rate in subsection 347(2) of the Criminal Code is replaced by the following:

criminal rate means an effective annual rate of interest calculated in accordance with generally accepted actuarial practices and principles

  • Insertion start (a) Insertion end that exceeds sixty per cent on the credit advanced under an agreement or arrangement Insertion start , if the credit is or is to be advanced for business or commercial purposes, or Insertion end

  • Start of inserted block

    (b)that exceeds the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate plus twenty per cent on the credit advanced under an agreement or arrangement, in any other case; (taux criminel)

    End of inserted block

(2)Subsection 347(2) of the Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

Start of inserted block

Bank of Canada’s overnight rate, in relation to credit advanced, means the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate on the day on which the agreement or arrangement under which the credit is or is to be advanced is entered into or renewed; (taux de financement à un jour de la Banque du Canada)

End of inserted block

(3)Section 347 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):

Meaning of business or commercial purposes
Start of inserted block

(2.‍1)For the purposes of this section, credit is advanced for business or commercial purposes if

  • (a)it is advanced to an organization that operates for profit or to an individual who operates a business or engages in a commercial activity for profit; and

  • (b)it is not advanced for personal, family or household purposes.

    End of inserted block

(4)Section 347 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (8):

Application — advancing credit over $1,000,000 for business purposes

Start of inserted block

(9)This section does not apply in respect of an agreement or arrangement under which credit is or is to be advanced for business or commercial purposes if the credit advanced at any one time under the agreement or arrangement equals or exceeds one million dollars.

End of inserted block

Coming into force

2This Act comes into force 60 days after the day on which it receives royal assent.

Published under authority of the Senate of Canada



EXPLANATORY NOTES

Criminal Code
Clause 1: (1)Existing text of the definition:

criminal rate means an effective annual rate of interest calculated in accordance with generally accepted actuarial practices and principles that exceeds sixty per cent on the credit advanced under an agreement or arrangement;

(2)New.
(3)New.
(4)New.

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