Bill C-336

Strengthening Reporting Obligations for Sex Offenders Act (Noah's Law)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act

Sponsor

Gerald Soroka  Conservative

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of June 5, 2023

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Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to allow a court to order that a sex offender who is likely to reoffend must comply with the reporting obligations under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act for 30 years. It also provides that a sex offender must complete a sex offender treatment program before applying for termination of the order.
The enactment also amends the Sex Offender Information Registration Act to increase the frequency with which a sex offender must report to a registration centre and to require an offender to report to a registration centre before moving to a new address. Finally, the enactment makes it an offence to fail to report to a registration centre as required.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Strengthening Reporting Obligations for Sex Offenders Act (Noah's Law)Routine Proceedings

June 5th, 2023 / 3:45 p.m.
See context

Conservative

Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-336, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (Noah's Law).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present my first private member's bill, the strengthening reporting obligations for sex offenders act, Noah's law, which is seconded by the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot.

This bill would empower vulnerable people, such as women and children, by legislating the compliance of highly-likely-to-repeat sex offenders with conditions outlined under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, or SOIRA, under court orders.

For most people, September 16, 2021, was an uneventful day, but for Cody McConnell, it was the day his life was destroyed by a tragic event when his 24-year-old fiancée, Mchale Busch, and his 16-month-old son, Noah McConnell, were murdered by a 53-year-old registered sex offender who was deemed highly likely to reoffend. Because of this horrible and devastating event, Cody McConnell does not want anyone else to experience what he went through and still endures every day.

Noah's law would allow a court to order highly-likely-to-repeat offenders to comply with SOIRA for 30 years, in order to protect the public; to complete a sexual behaviour rehabilitation/treatment program before the termination of the order; to increase the frequency of reporting to a registration centre before moving to a new address; and to make it an offence for offenders to fail to report to a registration centre in accordance with SOIRA.

I would like to acknowledge Laura MacRae, the lawyer and family friend of Cody McConnell who drafted Noah's law. I am also extremely pleased to have Senator Boisvenu introduce Noah's law into the Senate tomorrow afternoon. I would like to acknowledge the hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe as well for supporting Noah's law by sponsoring petition e-4460. The petition has been online for just over a week and already has over 1,100 signatures.

My heart goes out to Cody McConnell and his family and friends. Mchale Busch and Noah McConnell have not been forgotten. Their deaths should lead to meaningful change within Canada's criminal justice system so that no other family will have to go through a tragedy like this again, and this bill would do just that. MPs and senators should quickly pass this bill. I would also like to thank Cody McConnell and his family and friends who came from Alberta to join us today.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)