An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act

Short title: Combating Terrorism Act Bill S-7 (41-1) Status: Royal assent received Type: Senate Government Bill Sponsor: Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate Latest stage: Royal assent Legislative

summary <div>A legislative

summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive

summary is available. <br/><br/>On February 2012, the Leader of the Government in the Senate introduced Bill S-7,

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act (Combating Terrorism Act), in the Senate and it was given first reading.<br/><br/>The bill amends the Criminal Code <br/><br/>• to provide for an investigative hearing where individuals with information about a terrorism offence that has been or will be committed would be compelled to appear before a judge and answer questions.

Numerous safeguards would be attached to this power, including an annual report with opinions by the Attorney General of Canada and the Minister of Public Safety on whether these provisions should be extended;<br/><br/>• to provide for the imposition of a recognizance with conditions on a person to prevent them from carrying out a terrorist activity.

A peace officer with reasonable grounds to believe that a terrorist activity will be carried out and that the imposition of a recognizance with conditions on a particular person is necessary to prevent a terrorist activity from being carried out, then the peace officer could apply to a judge to have the person compelled to appear before him or her;<br/><br/>• to create offences of leaving or attempting to leave Canada to commit certain terrorism offences; and<br/><br/>• to provide for those sections to cease to have effect or for the possible extension of their operation.

The investigative hearings and recognizance with conditions provisions were subject to a sunset clause. These provisions expired on March 2007.<br/><br/>Bill S-7 also amends the Canada Evidence Act to allow the Federal Court to order that applications to it with respect to the disclosure of sensitive or potentially injurious information be made public and to allow it to order that hearings related to those applications be heard in private.

In addition, the enactment provides for the annual reporting on the operation of the provisions of that Act that relate to the issuance of certificates and fiats.<br/><br/>The bill also amends the Security of Information Act to increase, in certain cases, the maximum penalty for harbouring a person who committed an offence under that Act.<br/><br/>Lastly, it makes technical amendments in response to a parliamentary review of these Acts.</div> House of Commons — First reading: Completed (2012-06-05) House of Commons — Second reading: Completed (2012-10-23) House of Commons — Consideration in committee: Completed (2012-12-11) House of Commons — Report stage: Completed (2013-02-13) House of Commons — Third reading: Completed (2013-04-24) Senate — First reading: Completed (2012-02-15) Senate — Second reading: Completed (2012-03-08) Senate — Consideration in committee: Completed (2012-05-16) Senate — Report stage: Completed (2012-05-30) Senate — Third reading: Completed (2012-05-31) Full bill text is not included in the LEGISinfo JSON export.

Open the official Parliament of Canada bill page for the complete document.