Let me give a caveat at the very beginning. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to try to give legal advice to the committee, but maybe I can give some information, if that would be of use.
I think the question you're posing, if I can word it slightly differently, is, what would be the basis in Canadian law that would allow the minister to freeze the assets of an individual who is not a Canadian national, is abroad, and is a national of a foreign state? It's just the broad description, I think, of the issue or the question.
Currently your basis in Canadian law would be essentially the United Nations Act, the Special Economic Measures Act, or the Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, if you meet the criteria in that legislation. With the United Nations Act, of course, that's a Security Council resolution. With the Special Economic Measures Act, it could be one of two possibilities. The one most commonly discussed is a grave breach of international peace and security, but there's also another trigger under that act, which is essentially a resolution or decision of an association of states of which Canada is a part. That's actually how we implemented sanctions against the former Yugoslavia. It was a G7 decision or resolution.
Then with the Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, again, within the terms of that legislation, that's on the request of a foreign state to freeze the assets of corrupt foreign officials in the circumstances that are defined therein. Those would be the basic legislative tools that are currently available.
I know the committee, in a letter that was sent to the Minister of Justice, asked for information about the suite of legislative tools that might be available. There will be a response, I understand, from the Minister of Justice to that question that may assist, perhaps, as well.