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Bill C-32

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    (a) the enforcement officer or other person by whom the thing was seized, or

    (b) the person into whose custody the thing was delivered in accordance with subsection (1)

may sell the cargo or the portion of it that is perishable, as the case may be, and the proceeds of the sale shall be paid to the Receiver General or shall be deposited in a bank to the credit of the Receiver General.

Order for delivery of cargo

(4) The owner of any cargo of anything seized under section 220 may apply to the Federal Court for an order requiring any person who has custody of the cargo or the proceeds of any sale thereof to deliver the cargo or the proceeds of sale to the owner, and the Court may make such an order where it is satisfied that the applicant is the owner of the cargo to which the application relates.

Redelivery on deposit of security

222. (1) Where a thing has been seized under section 220, the Federal Court may, with the consent of the Minister, order redelivery of the thing or delivery of the proceeds realized from a sale of any perishable cargo under subsection 221(3) to the person from whom the thing was seized if security in the form of a bond in an amount and form satisfactory to the Minister is given to the Minister.

Seized ship, etc., to be returned unless proceedings instituted

(2) Anything referred to in subsection (1) that has been seized under section 220, or any security given to the Minister under subsection (1), shall be returned or paid to the person from whom the thing was seized within 30 days after the seizure unless, before the expiry of those 30 days, proceedings are instituted in respect of an offence under section 272 alleged to have been committed by the owner of the thing.

Detention

Seizure

223. (1) Whenever, during the course of an inspection or a search, an enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a provision of this Act or the regulations has been contravened, the enforcement officer may seize and detain anything

    (a) by means of or in relation to which the enforcement officer reasonably believes the contravention occurred; or

    (b) that the enforcement officer reasonably believes will afford evidence of the contravention.

Limitation

(2) An enforcement officer shall not seize anything under subsection (1) unless the thing is required as evidence or for purposes of analysis or the enforcement officer is of the opinion that the seizure is necessary in the public interest.

Notice of contravention

(3) An enforcement officer who has seized and detained a thing under subsection (1) shall, as soon as is practicable, advise the person in whose possession it was at the time of the seizure of the provision of this Act or the regulations that the enforcement officer believes has been contravened.

Detention and release

(4) Anything seized under subsection (1) or section 220, other than a ship, aircraft, platform or other structure, shall not be detained

    (a) after the owner of the thing or the person in whose possession it was at the time of the seizure applies to the enforcement officer or to the Minister for its release and the enforcement officer or the Minister is satisfied that it is not necessary in the public interest to continue to detain the thing or that it is not required as evidence or for purposes of analysis; or

    (b) after the expiry of 90 days after the day of seizure, unless before that time

      (i) the thing has been forfeited under section 229,

      (ii) proceedings have been instituted in respect of the contravention in relation to which the thing was seized, in which case it may be detained until the proceedings are finally concluded, or

      (iii) the Minister has served or made reasonable efforts to serve notice of an application for an order extending the time during which the thing may be detained in accordance with section 224.

Storage of seized thing

(5) A thing seized by an enforcement officer under subsection (1) or section 220, other than a ship, aircraft, platform or other structure, shall be kept or stored in the place where it was seized except if

    (a) in the opinion of the enforcement officer,

      (i) it is not in the public interest to do so, or

      (ii) the thing seized, or a sample of it, is required as evidence and removal and storage of the thing seized is necessary to ensure that the thing or sample will be available as evidence in any related proceedings, or

    (b) the person in whose possession it was at the time of the seizure or the person entitled to possession of the place requests the enforcement officer to have it removed to some other place,

in which case it may be removed to and stored in any other place at the direction of or with the concurrence of an enforcement officer and at the expense of the person who requested that it be so removed.

Interference with seized thing

(6) Unless authorized by an enforcement officer, no person shall remove, alter or interfere in any way with anything seized and detained by an enforcement officer under subsection (1) or section 220, but an enforcement officer shall, at the request of the person from whom it was seized, allow that person or any person authorized by that person to examine it and, where practicable, furnish a sample or copy of it to that person.

Application to extend period of detention

224. (1) Where proceedings have not been instituted in respect of the contravention in relation to which a thing was seized under section 220 or subsection 223(1), the Minister may, before the expiry of 90 days after the day of the seizure and on serving prior notice in accordance with subsection (2) on the owner of the thing or on the person who at the time of the seizure was in possession of it, apply to a provincial court judge, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code, within whose territorial jurisdiction the seizure was made for an order extending the time during which it may be detained.

Notice

(2) A notice shall be served by personal service at least five clear days before the day on which the application is to be made to the provincial court judge or by registered mail at least seven clear days before that day and shall specify

    (a) the provincial court in which the application is to be made;

    (b) the place where and the time when the application is to be heard;

    (c) the thing seized in respect of which the application is to be made; and

    (d) the grounds on which the Minister intends to rely to show why there should be an extension of the time during which the thing seized may be detained.

Order of extension granted

(3) Where, on the hearing of an application made under subsection (1), the judge is satisfied that the thing seized should continue to be detained, the judge shall order

    (a) that the thing be detained for any additional period and on any conditions relating to the detention for that additional period that the judge considers proper; and

    (b) on the expiry of the additional period, that the thing be restored to the person from whom it was seized or to any other person entitled to its possession unless, before the expiry of the additional period, an event referred to in subparagraph 223(4)(b)(i), (ii) or (iii) has occurred.

Order of extension refused

(4) Where, on the hearing of an application made under subsection (1), the judge is not satisfied that the thing seized should continue to be detained, the judge shall order that, on the expiry of 90 days after the day of the seizure, it be restored to the person from whom it was seized or to any other person entitled to its possession unless, before the expiry of the 90 days, an event referred to in subparagraph 223(4)(b)(i) or (ii) has occurred.

Detention of Ships

Detention of ships

225. (1) Where an enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the owner or master of a ship has committed an offence under section 272 and that a ship was used in connection with the commission of the offence, the enforcement officer may make a detention order in respect of the ship.

Order in writing

(2) A detention order made under subsection (1) shall be in writing and be addressed to all persons at any port in Canada where the ship to which the order relates is or will be who are empowered to give a clearance in respect of the ship.

Notice of detention order

(3) Notice of a detention order made under subsection (1) shall be served on the master of the ship in respect of which the order is made.

Duty of owner or master of ship

(4) Where notice of a detention order made under subsection (1) has been served on the master of the ship, the owner or master of the ship shall not give an order for the ship to go into an area of the sea referred to in paragraph 122(2)(f) or (g) during the term of the detention order.

Duty of persons empowered to give clearance

(5) Subject to subsection (6), no person to whom a detention order made under subsection (1) is addressed shall, after notice of the order is received by the person, give clearance in respect of the ship to which the order relates.

When clearance given

(6) A person to whom a detention order made under subsection (1) is addressed and who has received notice of the order may give clearance in respect of the ship to which the order relates where

    (a) the owner or master of the ship

      (i) has not, within 30 days after the order was made, been charged with the offence that gave rise to the making of the order, or

      (ii) has, within 30 days after the order was made, been charged with that offence and appears in Canada to answer to the charge;

    (b) security for payment of the maximum fine that might be imposed as a result of a conviction of the person charged with that offence and of costs related to proceedings in connection with the charge, or payment of any lesser amount that is approved by the Minister or a person designated by the Minister for the purpose, is given to Her Majesty in right of Canada; or

    (c) proceedings in respect of the alleged offence that gave rise to the making of the detention order are discontinued.

Assistance to Enforcement Officers and Analysts

Right of passage

226. An enforcement officer or analyst or any other person may, while carrying out powers, duties or functions under this Act, enter on and pass through or over private property without being liable for trespass or without the owner of the property having the right to object to that use of the property.

Assistance

227. The owner or the person in charge of a place entered by an enforcement officer or analyst under section 218 or 220, and every person found in the place, shall

    (a) give the enforcement officer or analyst all reasonable assistance to enable them to carry out duties and functions under this Act; and

    (b) provide the enforcement officer or analyst with any information with respect to the administration of this Act and the regulations that the enforcement officer or analyst may reasonably require.

Obstruction

228. While an enforcement officer or analyst is exercising powers or carrying out duties and functions under this Act, no person shall

    (a) knowingly make any false or misleading statement, either orally or in writing, to them; or

    (b) otherwise obstruct or hinder them.

Forfeiture

Forfeiture on consent

229. (1) Where an enforcement officer has seized a thing under section 220 or subsection 223(1) and the owner or person who was in lawful possession of it at the time of the seizure consents in writing at the request of the enforcement officer to its forfeiture, it is thereupon forfeited to Her Majesty in right of Canada.

Disposal or destruction

(2) The Minister may dispose of or destroy anything forfeited under subsection (1) and, if the Minister so directs, the costs of the disposal or destruction shall be paid by the owner or the person who was in lawful possession of it at the time it was seized.

Forfeiture by order of court

230. (1) Subject to sections 231 and 232, where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act and anything seized under section 220 or subsection 223(1) is then being detained,

    (a) the thing is, on the conviction and in addition to any punishment imposed for the offence, forfeited to Her Majesty in right of Canada, if the court so directs, in which case

      (i) the Minister may dispose of or destroy the thing, and

      (ii) the costs of the forfeiture and disposal or destruction shall be paid by the offender; or

    (b) the thing shall, on the expiry of the time for taking an appeal from the conviction or on the final conclusion of the proceedings, as the case may be, be restored to the person from whom it was seized or to any other person entitled to its possession on any conditions that may be imposed by order of the court and that, in the opinion of the court, are necessary to avoid the commission of a further offence under this Act.

Things deemed not to have been seized

(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), anything released from detention under paragraph 223(4)(a) or (b) is deemed not to have been seized under section 220 or subsection 223(1).

Court may order forfeiture

231. Where the owner of any ship, aircraft, platform or other structure has been convicted of an offence under section 272, the convicting court may, if the ship, aircraft, platform or structure was seized under section 220 or subsection 223(1), in addition to any other penalty imposed, order that the ship, aircraft, platform or structure, or any security given under subsection 222(1), be forfeited, and on the making of such an order the ship, aircraft, platform, structure or security is forfeited to Her Majesty in right of Canada.

Disposal of forfeited ship, aircraft, etc.

232. (1) Where proceedings referred to in subsection 222(2) are instituted within the time provided in that subsection and, at the final conclusion of those proceedings, any ship, aircraft, platform or other structure or any security given under subsection 222(1) is ordered to be forfeited, it may be disposed of as the Governor in Council directs.

Return of seized ship, etc., where no forfeiture ordered

(2) Where anything has been seized under section 220 and proceedings referred to in subsection 222(2) are instituted, but the thing is not, at the final conclusion of the proceedings, ordered to be forfeited, it shall be returned, the proceeds of any sale of the cargo under subsection 221(3) shall be paid or any security given to the Minister under subsection 222(1) shall be returned to the person from whom the thing was seized.

Exception

(3) Where, at the conclusion of proceedings referred to in subsection (1), the person from whom the thing was seized is convicted of an offence arising out of a contravention of this Part, the thing and any cargo or the proceeds or security may be retained until the fine is paid or the thing and any cargo may be sold under execution in satisfaction of the fine, or the proceeds realized from the sale of the cargo or the security or any part thereof may be applied in payment of the fine.

Application by person claiming interest

233. (1) Where anything has been ordered to be forfeited under this Act, any person, other than a person who was a party to the proceedings that resulted in the order, who claims an interest in the thing as owner, mortgagee, lien holder or holder of any other claim under Canadian law may, within 30 days after the thing is ordered to be forfeited, apply by notice in writing to the Federal Court for an order under subsection (5).

Date of hearing

(2) The Federal Court shall fix a day for the hearing of an application made under subsection (1).

Notice

(3) An applicant for an order under subsection (5) shall, at least 30 days before the day fixed under subsection (2) for the hearing of the application, serve a notice of the application and of the hearing on the Minister and on all other persons claiming an interest in the thing that is the subject-matter of the application as owner, mortgagee, lien holder or holder of any other claim under Canadian law of whom the applicant has knowledge.

Notice of intervention

(4) Each person, other than the Minister, who is served with a notice under subsection (3) and who intends to appear at the hearing of the application to which the notice relates shall, at least 10 days before the day fixed for the hearing, file a notice of intervention in the Registry of the Federal Court and serve a copy of the notice on the Minister and on the applicant.

Order declaring nature and extent of interests

(5) Where, on the hearing of an application under this section, the Federal Court is satisfied that the applicant, or the intervenors, if any, or any of them,

    (a) is innocent of any complicity in any conduct that caused the thing to be subject to forfeiture and of any collusion in relation to any such conduct, and

    (b) exercised all reasonable care in respect of the persons permitted to obtain possession and use of the thing so as to be satisfied that it was not likely to be used contrary to the provisions of this Act or, in the case of a mortgagee or lien holder, other than the holder of a maritime lien or statutory right in rem, that the applicant or intervenor exercised such care with respect to the mortgagor or the lien giver,

those of the applicant and the intervenors in respect of whom the Court is so satisfied are entitled to an order declaring that their interests are not affected by the forfeiture and declaring the nature and extent of each of their interests and the priorities among them.

Additional order

(6) Where an order is made under subsection (5), the Court may, in addition, order that the thing to which the interests relate be delivered to one or more of the persons found to have an interest in it or that an amount equal to the value of each of the interests so declared be paid to the persons found to have those interests.