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Bill 189, Lydia's Law (Accountability and Transparency in the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases), 2024

Fife, Catherine

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Status

Debates

Original

Bill 189 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts Lydia’s Law (Accountability and Transparency

in the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases), 2024 .

Section 2 of the Act

provides that the Attorney General shall prepare and publish a progress report

describing the extent to which the Ministry of the Attorney General has

implemented certain recommendations set out in the Auditor General’s Report and

shall lay the progress report before the Assembly.

Section 3 of the Act

requires the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to establish a working group

to review the progress report and report on their review to the Assembly.

Section 4 of the Act provides that the Attorney General shall review the

efficiency of the Victim Quick Response Program and report the results of the

review to the Assembly.

Section 5 of the Act requires police services that

receive a sexual assault complaint from persons who are 16 years of age or

older to make the person aware of the Independent Legal Advice Program.

Bill 189 2024

Act to enact Lydia’s Law (Accountability and Transparency in the Handling of

Sexual Assault Cases), 2024

His

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

this Act,

“Auditor

General’s Report” means the 2019 Annual Report that was prepared by the Auditor

General and tabled in the Assembly on December 4, 2019; (“FRENCH”)

“police

service” has the same meaning as in the Community Safety

and Policing Act, 2019 . (“FRENCH”)

Progress

report

(1) The

Attorney General shall, every year, prepare a progress report describing the

extent to which the Ministry of the Attorney General has implemented the

following recommendations made in

Chapter 3 of Volume 3 of the Auditor

General’s Report:

1. Recommendation

No. 1 on page 161.

2. Recommendation

No. 3 on page 166.

Report

to the Assembly

(2) The

Attorney General shall lay each progress report before the Assembly on or

before March 1 in each year.

Publication

(3) The

Attorney General shall publish each progress report on a Government of Ontario

website within 10 days after the report is laid before the Assembly.

Review

of progress report

(1) The

Standing Committee on Justice Policy shall establish a working group to review

each progress report.

Working

group

(2) The

working group shall begin the review no later than 10 sitting days after the

progress report has been laid before the Assembly.

Report

to the Assembly

(3) The

Committee shall report on the review of the working group to the Assembly

within 20 sitting days after the progress report has been laid.

Victim

Quick Response Program

The

Attorney General shall,

(

a) review

the efficiency of the Victim Quick Response Program as a replacement for the

Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in supporting survivors of domestic

violence, sexual assault and human trafficking; and

(

b) report

the results of the review to the Assembly within one year after

section 1 comes

into force.

Independent

Legal Advice Program

Every

police service that receives a sexual assault complaint from a person who is 16

years of age or older shall make the person aware of the Independent Legal

Advice Program that is delivered through Ontario Victim Services of the

Ministry of the Attorney General.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The short

title of this Act is Lydia’s Law

(Accountability and Transparency in the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases), 2024 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

May 14, 2024

First Reading

Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

May 14, 2024

First Reading

Order for Second Reading discharged pursuant to Standing Order 77(

a) April 18, 2024

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

April 18, 2024

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

April 18, 2024

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

May 14, 2024

Order for Second Reading discharged pursuant to Standing Order 77(

a) Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

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