Bill C-261 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (failure to stop at scene of accident)

This bill was last introduced in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session, which ended in March 2011.

This bill was previously introduced in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session.

Sponsor

Pat Martin  NDP

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 Jan. 27, 2009
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

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

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to provide that a person who has control of a vehicle, vessel or aircraft that is involved in an accident and who fails to stop at the scene of the accident is guilty of an offence for which the minimum punishment is seven years’ imprisonment and the maximum is life imprisonment, if another person suffers bodily harm and dies as a result of the accident.
If another person suffers bodily harm but does not die as a result of the accident, the person who failed to stop at the scene of the accident is guilty of an offence for which the minimum punishment is four years’ imprisonment and the maximum is life imprisonment.
These provisions apply whether or not the person knows that another person has suffered bodily harm or has died as a result of the accident, and whether or not the person has the intent to escape civil or criminal liability.

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.

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

January 27th, 2009 / 3:20 p.m.
See context

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-261, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (failure to stop at scene of accident).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Thunder Bay—Rainy River again for seconding this important bill.

The legislation would amend the Criminal Code. A person in control of a vehicle, or a vessel or an aircraft who was involved in an accident and who failed to stop at the scene of that accident would be guilty of a separate stand-alone offence within the Criminal Code.

The bill would provide harsh penalties. If a person suffered bodily harm and died as a result of an accident, or if a person suffered bodily harm but was not killed in an accident, the legislation would contemplate a minimum punishment of four years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. These provisions would apply whether or not the person was aware that another person suffered bodily harm by virtue of their actions.

This is strongly worded legislation that has been crafted to address a serious shortcoming in the current Criminal Code.

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