Justice Committee on Feb. 16th, 2015

Evidence of meeting #61 for Justice and Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sexual.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-26, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, to enact the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michael Spratt Member, Former Director and Member of the Legislative Committee, Criminal Lawyers' Association

Gaylene Schellenberg Staff Lawyer, Law Reform, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Sheldon Kennedy Lead Director, Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre

Sue O'Sullivan Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime

Daniel Therrien Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Alain Fortier President, Victimes d'agressions sexuelles au masculin

Frank Tremblay Vice-President, Victimes d'agressions sexuelles au masculin

Stacey Hannem Chair, Policy Review Committee, Canadian Criminal Justice Association

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

Yes—

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Okay.

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

—and it should concentrate on those offences that are most likely to result in recidivism. Where there is a particular offender who may be suffering from a paraphilia, that is the sort of thing where police have to have access to knowledge about that particular offender.

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Are those things that don't currently exist in the registry that is accessible by the police?

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

It's totally overbroad, sir, and the registry itself would not have as much information about these characteristics—

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Just so I understand, for the registry that currently exists to which police have access, do you think it should be restricted from the current situation or do you think it could be expanded to help prevent crime? Is it already too broad?

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

No, if it's simply expanded—

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Is it already too broad?

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

It's already too broad—

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

You think that as it currently exists it's already too broad.

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

As far as preventing any type of recidivism is concerned or offering protections—

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Okay. So the Bar Association believes that the current police-accessible registry is too broad and should be narrowed.

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

As it relates to public protection or the detection of crime, yes, sir.

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

Okay. So you're suggesting something less than what we already have.

6 p.m.

Member, National Criminal Justice Section, Canadian Bar Association

Paul Calarco

Yes. I think it has to be amended.

6 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON

All right. That's fair enough. I just wanted to clarify that.

Thank you.

6 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Mike Wallace

First of all, let me thank our witnesses today. We had the interruption with the votes. You've provided a tremendous amount of information, and thank you for hanging in here, giving your presentations, and answering some very tough questions. The debate this afternoon has been excellent.

I want to remind committee members that we are to do clause-by-clause on this on Wednesday. Keep an eye open for the room number. We're trying to get a room that might be a little bit closer to the House, if we can do that, but keep an eye on it. Also, if you have any amendments, we would like them in advance, by 3 p.m. tomorrow, if you could.

6 p.m.

NDP