Bill C-426 (Historical)

An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another)

This bill is from the 42nd Parliament, 1st session, which ended in September 2019.

Sponsor

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. 30, 2019
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the National Defence Act to repeal the offence of maiming or injuring oneself or another person to render oneself or that other person unfit for service.

Similar bills

C-206 (current session) An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another)

C-203 (43rd Parliament, 2nd session) An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another)

C-203 (43rd Parliament, 1st session) An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another)

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.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-426s:

C-426 (2013) An Act to amend the Species at Risk Act (funding of atlassing)

C-426 (2012) An Act to amend the Species at Risk Act (funding of atlassing)

C-426 (2010) An Act to amend the Bank Act and other Acts (cost of borrowing for credit cards)

C-426 (2009) An Act to amend the Bank Act and other Acts (cost of borrowing for credit cards)

C-426 (2007) An Act to amend the Canada Evidence Act (protection of journalistic sources and search warrants)

National Defence ActRoutine Proceedings

January 30th, 2019 / 3:15 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-426, An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that aims to remove a significant barrier to members of the Canadian Forces receiving the mental health assistance they need. It would do so by repealing subsection (c) of section 98 of the National Defence Act. This archaic section of the National Defence Act makes self-harm a disciplinary offence in the military code of conduct.

The Canadian Forces are still losing more than one member per month to death by suicide. We have lost over 195 serving members in the last 15 years. Removing this section would send a strong message that self-harm is a mental health issue and not something to be addressed by discipline.

This is a matter that I had hoped could have been fixed by a simple amendment to Bill C-77, the military justice reform bill, recently dealt with by the House. At that time, New Democrats and Conservatives supported my amendment, but the Liberals indicated they felt amending Bill C-77 was not the way to proceed. This private member's bill offers an alternative way of taking the actions necessary to send a positive message to Canadian Forces members struggling with mental health issues. I trust it will receive broad support in the House.

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