Evidence of meeting #21 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-16.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, officials.
Good afternoon, everyone.
We are all here to strengthen and improve our laws and our justice system so we can restore confidence among Canadians. Families expect firm consequences, not legal loopholes.
With Bill C-16, are we strengthening public safety or creating more legal challenges in the courts?
Matthew Taylor Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
I'll take that question. Thank you.
In his remarks, the minister talked about the ways that Bill C-16 would enhance criminal justice system responses to particular types of crime—for example, gender-based violence, sexual offences against children, sextortion, deepfakes and sexually explicit deepfakes. Certainly, a range of new tools are being proposed that would address pressing public safety threats.
The minister also talked about what the bill is trying to do with respect to mandatory minimum penalties, which is to ensure that they remain available for the range of offences for which Parliament has already decided warrant a mandatory minimum penalty. This is with a view to enhancing public confidence in the sentencing framework in criminal law and ensuring that mandatory minimum penalties remain available in specific cases.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
I know you talked about victims in this case. I always say that it's time to put victims ahead of criminals.
Does Bill C-16 give greater legal priority to victims over offenders? If yes, can you please point to the clause? If no, why are victims still not the priority?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
I might offer a few examples. Then I'm happy to unpack those a bit more.
As one example, there are a number of proposed amendments that specifically acknowledge the impact that criminal justice system delays have on victims and would require courts and prosecutors to turn their minds to those specific impacts when conducting an analysis of justice system delays. There are amendments to the Criminal Code and the Victims Bill of Rights in relation to that.
There are also proposed changes to make testimonial aids easier to obtain by adult victims in sexual offence proceedings. This is something the government heard through consultations, the work of Parliament, and the victims ombudsperson. Although there are testimonial aids in the Criminal Code, they can be more difficult or challenging to obtain in certain cases. The bill seeks to make those more readily available to the victims, as I mentioned.
Then, of course, as the minister mentioned, there are a number of proposed amendments to strengthen the Victims Bill of Rights as well.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
Do you have the numbers of the clauses that you mentioned address these points?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
Sure. I can give you a couple of examples.
Clauses 38 to 41 are about the proposed changes to the testimonial aid provisions. Clause 46 deals with delays. Clauses 135 to 144 are about the proposed changes to the Victims Bill of Rights.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
Whose decision was it to include mandatory minimum penalty reforms alongside the gender-based violence proposals in this bill?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
That was a decision taken by the Minister of Justice as lead minister responsible for this legislation.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
Did the minister's office have any input into what went in this bill? If yes, what was the input?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
Certainly, in our role as public servants, there's an ongoing conversation between ourselves and the Minister of Justice in terms of giving effect to the government's criminal justice system priorities. We take guidance from the minister and from the government via its platform commitments, for example, or the Speech from the Throne.
Conservative
Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON
Is it correct to say that the minister's office saw and approved a draft bill that included broad, sweeping reforms to mandatory minimums, including the other gender violence reforms?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
Yes, absolutely. The government is responsible for the legislation that it introduces.
Conservative
Liberal
Wade Chang Liberal Burnaby Central, BC
Thank you for being here, officials.
What resources or training will be required for law enforcement or prosecutors to effectively implement the new offences, particularly those related to coercive control or online harm?
Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
The minister mentioned that there is a two-year coming-into-force provision attached to the coercive control offence. That is specifically to facilitate the training being developed right now at the FPT level. It's very targeted training to deal with some of the concerns we heard during a 2023 stakeholder engagement process on the potential unintended, negative impacts of a coercive control offence, one of them being weaponization against the victim of the offence.
For the offence itself, there are some critical provisions that assist in avoiding or minimizing the possibility of that occurring. These will form a central part of the training being developed, and that will be rolled out before the coercive control offence comes into force. That's consistent with the knowledge we've gleaned from other jurisdictions that have implemented coercive control offences. Success is largely dependent on effective training.
Liberal
Wade Chang Liberal Burnaby Central, BC
How will the government support smaller or rural police services in adapting to these new investigative requirements, especially in digital evidence cases?
Senior General Counsel and Director General, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice
One of the ways we work to support legislation enacted by Parliament is through engagement with our provincial and territorial partners. That takes many different forms. It can involve things like the development of handbooks, for example, to support police and prosecutors in implementing new legislation. It can involve webinars. It can involve knowledge exchanges. These are things that we would continue to explore with our provincial partners, which in turn involve their criminal justice system actors, whether they be police officers from smaller communities or larger communities, Crown prosecutors or others responsible for implementing changes to the criminal justice system.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since we began the study this morning, I think it would be appropriate at this time to put forward a motion with regard to the framework and the study of this particular bill, Bill C-16. I move:
That the committee begin its study of Bill C-16 on Monday, March 23, 2026, with the first hour dedicated to the appearance of the Minister of Justice and the second hour to departmental officials.
That the committee hold five meetings with witnesses on March 25, April 13, April 15, April 20 and April 22, 2026.
That, following the conclusion of witness testimony, the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-16 on Monday, April 27, 2026.
I am sending both versions, in French and in English, to the clerk as we speak.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
On a point of order, could we have a brief suspension to review the motion?
