Mr. Chair, this motion proposes to amend the wording of proposed subsection 722.2(2) of the Criminal Code to require that community impact statements be prepared in accordance with a procedure established by a program designated for that purpose by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of a province or territory, similar to the case with the previous amendment.
Victim impact statements and community impact statements are an important avenue for participation in the Canadian criminal justice system, and victims have greatly benefited from the assistance provided by the provincially and territorially designated victim impact statement programs when they are preparing their statements. A community representative should be able to benefit from the assistance provided by the designated victim impact statement programs when preparing a community impact statement on a new community impact statement form, which will be Form 34.3. This amendment would ensure the community representatives will receive the assistance they require in completing the community impact statement form for presentation.