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Bill C-246

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First Session, Forty-second Parliament,

64-65 Elizabeth II, 2015-2016

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-246
An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Fisheries Act, the Textile Labelling Act, the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (animal protection)

FIRST READING, February 26, 2016

Mr. Erskine-Smith

421146


SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to consolidate and modernize various offences against animals.

The enactment amends the Fisheries Act to prohibit the practice of shark finning and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act to prohibit the importation of shark fins that are not attached to the rest of the shark carcass.

It also amends the Textile Labelling Act to modify requirements in respect of animal hair and fur and cat and dog skin, hair and fur.

It also amends the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act to add products made in whole or in part of dog or cat fur or skin to Schedule 2 to that Act to prohibit those products from being imported into Canada or manufactured, advertised or sold in Canada.

Available on the House of Commons website at the following address:
www.ourcommons.ca


1st Session, 42nd Parliament,

64-65 Elizabeth II, 2015-2016

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-246

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Fisheries Act, the Textile Labelling Act, the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (animal protection)

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

Short Title

Short title

1This Act may be cited as the Modernizing Animal Protections Act.

R.‍S.‍, c. C-46

Criminal Code

2Section 160 of the Criminal Code is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

Definition of bestiality

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(4)For the purposes of this section, bestiality means sexual activity between a person and an animal.

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3The Act is amended by adding the following after section 182:

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Part V.‍1
Offences against animals

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Killing or harming animals
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182.‍1(1)Everyone commits an offence who, wilfully or recklessly,

  • (a)causes or, being the owner, permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal;

  • (b)kills an animal or, being the owner, permits an animal to be killed, brutally or viciously, regardless of whether the animal dies immediately;

  • (c)kills an animal without lawful excuse;

  • (d)without lawful excuse, poisons an animal, places poison in such a position that it may easily be consumed by an animal, administers an injurious drug or substance to an animal or, being the owner, permits anyone to do any of those things;

  • (e)in any manner encourages, promotes, arranges, assists at, takes part in or receives money for the fighting or baiting of animals, including breeding, training or transporting an animal to fight another animal;

  • (f)makes, maintains, keeps or allows to be made, maintained or kept a cockpit or any other arena for the fighting of animals;

  • (g)promotes, arranges, conducts, assists in, receives money for or takes part in any meeting, competition, exhibition, pastime, practice, display or event at or in the course of which captive animals are liberated by hand, trap, contrivance or any other means for the purpose of being shot at the moment they are liberated; or

  • (h)being the owner, occupier or person in charge of any premises, permits the premises or any part of the premises to be used in the course of an activity referred to in paragraph (e) or (g).

    End of inserted block
Punishment
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(2)Everyone who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

  • (a)an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or

  • (b)an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months or to both.

    End of inserted block
Failing to provide adequate care
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182.‍2(1)Everyone commits an offence who

  • (a)negligently causes unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal;

  • (b)being the owner, or the person having the custody or control of an animal, wilfully or recklessly abandons it or negligently fails to provide suitable and adequate food, water, air, shelter and care for it; or

  • (c)negligently injures an animal while it is being conveyed.

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Definition of negligently
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(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), negligently means departing markedly from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use.

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Punishment
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(3)Everyone who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

  • (a)an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years; or

  • (b)an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than six months or to both.

    End of inserted block
Order of prohibition or restitution
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182.‍3(1)The court may, in addition to any other sentence that it may impose under subsection 182.‍1(2) or 182.‍2(3),

  • (a)make an order prohibiting the offender from owning, having the custody or control of or residing in the same premises as an animal for any period that the court considers appropriate, and in the case of a second offence, for life; and

  • (b)on application of the Attorney General or on its own motion, order that the offender pay to a person or an organization that has taken care of an animal as a result of the commission of the offence the reasonable costs that the person or organization incurred in respect of the animal, if the costs are readily ascertainable.

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Breach of order
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(2)Everyone who contravenes an order made under paragraph (1)‍(a) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

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Application
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(3)Sections 740 to 741.‍2 apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to orders made under paragraph (1)‍(b).

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Common law defences
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182.‍4For greater certainty, subsection 8(3) and the defences set out in subsection 429(2) apply, to the extent that they are relevant, in respect of proceedings for an offence under this Part.

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Aboriginal rights
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182.‍5For greater certainty, nothing in this Part shall be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from the protection provided for existing aboriginal or treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada by the recognition and affirmation of those rights in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

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Killing or injuring certain animals
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182.‍6(1)Everyone commits an offence who, wilfully and without lawful excuse, kills, maims, wounds, poisons or injures a law enforcement animal while it is aiding a law enforcement officer in carrying out that officer’s duties, a military animal while it is aiding a member of the Canadian Forces in carrying out that member’s duties or a service animal.

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Punishment
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(2)Everyone who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

  • (a)an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years and, if a law enforcement animal is killed in the commission of the offence, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of six months; or

  • (b)an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine of not more than $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months or to both.

    End of inserted block
Sentences to be served consecutively
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(3)A sentence imposed on a person for an offence under subsection (1) committed against a law enforcement animal shall be served consecutively to any other punishment imposed on the person for an offence arising out of the same event or series of events.

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Definitions
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(4)The following definitions apply in this section.

law enforcement animal means a dog or horse that is trained to aid a law enforcement officer in carrying out that officer’s duties. (animal d’assistance policière)

law enforcement officer means a police officer, a police constable or any person referred to in paragraph (b), (c.‍1), (d), (d.‍1), (e) or (g) of the definition peace officer in section 2. (agent de contrôle d’application de la loi)

military animal means an animal that is trained to aid a member of the Canadian Forces in carrying out that member’s duties. (animal d’assistance militaire)

service animal means an animal that is required by a person with a disability for assistance and is certified, in writing, as having been trained by a professional service animal institution to assist a person with a disability. (animal d’assistance)

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4Paragraph 264.‍1(1)‍(c) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (c)to kill, poison or injure an animal that is the property of any person.

5Section 270.‍03 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Sentences to be served consecutively

270.‍03A sentence imposed on a person for an offence under subsection 270(1) or 270.‍01(1) or section 270.‍02 committed against a law enforcement officer, as defined in subsection Insertion start 182.‍6(4) Insertion end , shall be served consecutively to any other punishment imposed on the person for an offence arising out of the same event or series of events.

6Subsection 429(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

Colour of right

(2)No person shall be convicted of an offence under sections 430 to Insertion start 443 Insertion end where Insertion start they Insertion end prove that Insertion start they Insertion end acted with legal justification or excuse and with colour of right.

7The heading before section 444 and sections 444 to 447.‍1 of the Act are repealed.

8Section 718.‍03 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Objectives — offence against certain animals

718.‍03When a court imposes a sentence for an offence under subsection Insertion start 182.‍6(1) Insertion end , the court shall give primary consideration to the objectives of denunciation and deterrence of the conduct that forms the basis of the offence.

R.‍S.‍, c. F-14

Fisheries Act

9The Fisheries Act is amended by adding the following after section 31:

Prohibition — shark finning

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32(1)No person shall engage in the practice of shark finning.

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Definition of shark finning

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(2)In this section, shark finning means the practice of removing a fin from a shark and discarding the remainder of the shark while at sea.

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R.‍S.‍, c. T-10

Textile Labelling Act

10The definition textile fibre in section 2 of the Textile Labelling Act is replaced by the following:

textile fibre means any natural or manufactured matter that is capable of being made into a yarn or fabric and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes human hair, kapok, feathers and down Insertion start , animal skin Insertion end and animal hair Insertion start and Insertion end fur Insertion start , whether or not it Insertion end has been removed from the animal skin; (fibre textile)

11(1)Subparagraph 6(b)‍(i) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (i) Insertion start subject to subparagraph (i.‍1), Insertion end the generic name of each textile fibre comprising five per cent or more by mass of the total fibre mass of the article,

  • Start of inserted block

    (i.‍1)the generic name of cat and dog skin, or cat and dog hair or fur not removed from the skin, comprising any amount of the total fibre mass of the article;

    End of inserted block

(2)The English version of subparagraph 6(b)‍(ii) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (ii)subject to the regulations, Insertion start the Insertion end percentage by mass of the total fibre mass of the article Insertion start that Insertion end each textile fibre named Insertion start in accordance with Insertion end subparagraph (i) Insertion start or (i.‍1) Insertion end comprises,

1992, c. 52

Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act

12(1)Section 6 of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):

Importation of shark fins

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(1.‍1)No person shall, except under and in accordance with a permit issued pursuant to subsection 10(1.‍1), import, or attempt to import, into Canada shark fins that are not attached to a shark carcass.

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(2)Section 10 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):

Permit — importation of shark fins

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(1.‍1)The Minister may, on application and on such terms and conditions as the Minister thinks fit, issue a permit authorizing the importation of shark fins that are not attached to a shark carcass if the Minister is of the opinion that

  • (a)the importation is for the purpose of scientific research relating to shark conservation that is conducted by qualified persons; and

  • (b)the activity benefits the survival of shark species or is required to enhance their chance of survival in the wild.

    End of inserted block

2010, c. 21

Canada Consumer Product Safety Act

13Schedule 2 to the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act is amended by adding the following in numerical order:

Start of inserted block
17
  Products made in whole or in part of dog or cat fur or skin.
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Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons

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