ENGLISH
• SUMMARY
SUMMARY
• 1 PART 1 Canadian Victims Bill of Rights
1 PART 1 Canadian Victims Bill of Rights
• 1 Amendments
1 Amendments
• 10 Transitional Provision
10 Transitional Provision
• 11 PART 2 Victims Rights Implementation Framework
11 PART 2 Victims Rights Implementation Framework
• EXPLANATORY NOTES
EXPLANATORY NOTES

SUMMARY

PART 1 

Canadian Victims Bill of Rights

2015, c. 13, s. 2

Amendments

1 The portion of section 6 before paragraph (a) of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights is replaced by the following:

2 The portion of section 7 before paragraph (a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

3 The portion of section 8 before paragraph (a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

4 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 13:

5 Section 16 of the Act and the heading before it are replaced by the following:

6 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 17:

7 Section 20 of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (d) and by adding the following after that paragraph:

8 Subsection 25(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

9 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 29:

Transitional Provision

Training

10 Every authority in the criminal justice system within the legislative authority of Parliament must ensure that every person whose employment began before the day on which section 9 comes into force who plays a role in implementing the rights of victims of crime receives the training provided for in this section no later than one year after the day on which it comes into force.

PART 2 

Victims Rights Implementation Framework

Development

11 (1) The Minister of Justice must develop an implementation framework setting out how the rights of victims of crime under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights are to be implemented and upheld in matters within the legislative authority of Parliament.

Consultation

(2) In developing the implementation framework, the Minister must consult the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime, the representatives of the provincial governments who are responsible for the administration of justice in their respective provinces, groups representing the interests of victims of crime and other relevant stakeholders.

Contents

(3) The implementation framework must include

• (a) the mechanisms for assessing the availability of assistance services for victims of crime and the implementation and upholding of the rights under sections 6 to 8 of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights;

• (b) the remedies available to victims of crime to obtain reparations when their rights under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights are not upheld;

• (c) minimum standards for support and assistance services for victims of crime, including legal, social, medical and psychological services;

• (d) a national public awareness campaign to inform Canadians of their rights as victims of crime;

• (e) mechanisms to strengthen the participation of victims of crime in the criminal justice system;

• (f) mechanisms to make the parole process more conducive to the participation of victims of crime and their families;

• (g) mechanisms to enable victims of crime to be heard by the appropriate authorities in the criminal justice system during sentencing and consideration of an application for parole;

• (h) mechanisms to strengthen the independence of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime, including by enshrining its existence in legislation; and

• (i) every additional legislative amendment within the legislative authority of Parliament that, in the opinion of the Minister, is necessary for implementing the rights under this Act or the implementation framework.

Tabling in Parliament

12 (1) No later than the first anniversary of the day on which this Act receives royal assent, the Minister of Justice must prepare a report setting out the implementation framework and cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication

(2) The Minister must publish the report on the Department of Justice website within 10 days after the day on which the report is tabled in Parliament.

Report

13 Within five years after the day on which the report referred to in subsection 12(1) is tabled in Parliament, the Minister of Justice must cause to be tabled in each House of Parliament a report setting out

• (a) an assessment of the effectiveness of the components of the implementation framework; and

• (b) any findings or recommendations of the Minister regarding the implementation framework.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

6 Every victim has the right, on request, to information about

7 Every victim has the right, on request, to information about

8 Every victim has the right, on request, to information about

16 Every victim has the right to have the court consider making a restitution order against the offender.

20 This Act is to be construed and applied in a manner that is reasonable in the circumstances, and in a manner that is not likely to

• . . . 

• (d) endanger the life or safety of any individual; or

(2) Every victim who has exhausted their recourse under the complaints mechanism and who is not satisfied with the response of the federal department, agency or body may file a complaint with any authority that has jurisdiction to review complaints in relation to that department, agency or body.