Bill C-565 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest without warrant by owner)

This bill is from the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session, which ended in March 2011.

Sponsor

Olivia Chow  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 Sept. 29, 2010
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to give the owner or person in lawful possession of property the power to arrest without warrant a person he finds committing, or he believes has committed, a criminal offence on or in relation to that property.

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

September 29th, 2010 / 3:20 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-565, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest without warrant by owner).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present this bill to amend the Criminal Code so small business owners can protect themselves.

David Chen, the owner of Lucky Moose grocery store who caught the thief who had repeatedly stolen from his store, was charged with forcible confinement, assault and kidnapping because he caught the criminal an hour later outside the store and held him until the police arrived.

Many store owners experience the same frustration as the Lucky Moose owner, Mr. Chen. Just in my riding I have nine concrete examples.

My amendment to the Criminal Code would allow owners to arrest criminals without warrant so they can be turned over to the police.

In support of David Chen, I am calling this bill, the Lucky Moose bill. I also want to thank Chi Kun Shi who is here today, and the 10,000 good citizens who signed the petition in support of this change.

My mother shops at Lucky Moose every day and said that it was about time Parliament protected these small business owners. I call on all parties to support this bill so it can become law.

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