Justice Committee on Oct. 30th, 2017

Evidence of meeting #73 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was 176.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-51

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Steve Coughlan Professor, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, As an Individual

Peter Noteboom Acting General Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches

Mike Hogeterp Executive Committee Member, Commission on Justice and Peace, Canadian Council of Churches

Bruce Clemenger President, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Julia Beazley Director, Public Policy, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Lionel Gendron President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Bruce Simpson Specialized Partener in Criminal Law, Barnes Sammon LLP, Barnes Sammon LLP

Janet Buckingham Professor, Laurentian Leadership Centre, Trinity Western University, As an Individual

Eminence Thomas Collins Archbishop of Toronto, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Greg Oliver President, Canadian Secular Alliance

Brian Herman Director, Government Relations, B'nai Brith Canada

David Matas Senior Legal Counsel, B'nai Brith Canada

André Schutten Legal Counsel and Director of Law and Policy, Association for Reformed Political Action Canada

Cara Zwibel Acting General Counsel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Rebecca Bromwich President, Church Council on Justice and Corrections

Tabitha Ewert Articling Fellow

6:35 p.m.

Liberal

Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC

There's also subparagraph 176(1)(b)(ii), that protects a clergyperson from arrest on a civil process when that person is on his or her way to perform a religious function. Do you think that is an appropriate thing to retain or can we get rid of that?

6:35 p.m.

President, Church Council on Justice and Corrections

Dr. Rebecca Bromwich

Again, that is a provision that we have suggested is no longer required under the Criminal Code. It's partly with respect to the history of our country that we have to acknowledge, in terms of the unfortunate complicity and participation of people who were engaged—and had authority in some sort of religious capacity—with very real criminal acts. That's certainly something we've seen with respect to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But with respect, there is no particular reason that people who have some sort of authority conferred on them by a religious or secular body should have impunity with respect to genuine reasons for arrest.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

Thank you very much.

Unfortunately, we've reached the time when we have to leave for votes.

I want to thank all of the witnesses who testified today. Your testimony was very helpful.

Ms. Zwibel, we'll wait to hear back from you. If you could email us your response to Mr. Fraser's question, that would be very helpful.

6:40 p.m.

Acting General Counsel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Cara Zwibel

Would you like that through the clerk?

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

You can send it through the clerk, and feel free to copy me and Mr. Fraser and everybody else—whatever you'd like.

6:40 p.m.

Acting General Counsel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Cara Zwibel

Thank you.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

Thank you so much.

Thank you again to all the witnesses. Have a wonderful rest of the day.

The meeting is adjourned.