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Investigations |
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Application
for
investigation
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93. (1) A person who is a resident of Canada
and at least 18 years of age may apply to the
competent minister for an investigation of
whether an alleged offence has been
committed or whether anything directed
towards its commission has been done.
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Statement to
accompany
application
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(2) The application must be in a form
approved by the competent minister and must
include a solemn affirmation or declaration
containing
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Investigation
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94. (1) The competent minister must
acknowledge receipt of the application within
20 days after receiving it and, subject to
subsections (2) and (3), investigate all matters
that he or she considers necessary to
determine the facts relating to the alleged
offence.
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Frivolous or
vexatious
applications
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(2) No investigation is required if the
competent minister decides that the
application is frivolous or vexatious.
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Notice of
decision
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(3) If the competent minister decides not to
conduct an investigation, he or she must,
within 60 days after the application for
investigation is received, give notice of the
decision, with reasons, to the applicant.
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When notice
need not be
given
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(4) The competent minister need not give
the notice if an investigation in relation to the
alleged offence is ongoing apart from the
application.
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Competent
minister may
send evidence
to Attorney
General
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95. At any stage of the investigation, the
competent minister may send any documents
or other evidence to the Attorney General for
a consideration of whether an offence has been
or is about to be committed, and for any action
that the Attorney General may wish to take.
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Suspension or
conclusion of
investigation
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96. (1) The competent minister may
suspend or conclude the investigation if he or
she is of the opinion that the alleged offence
does not require further investigation or the
investigation does not substantiate the alleged
offence or any other offence.
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Report if
investigation
suspended
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(2) If the investigation is suspended, the
competent minister must prepare a written
report describing the information obtained
during the investigation and stating the
reasons for its suspension and the action, if
any, that the competent minister has taken or
proposes to take and send a copy of the report
to the applicant. The competent minister must
notify the applicant if the investigation is
subsequently resumed.
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Report when
investigation
concluded
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(3) When the investigation is concluded,
the competent minister must prepare a written
report describing the information obtained
during the investigation and stating the
reasons for its conclusion and the action, if
any, that the competent minister has taken or
proposes to take and send a copy of the report
to the applicant and to each person whose
conduct was investigated.
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Personal
information
not to be
disclosed
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(4) A copy of the report sent to a person
whose conduct was investigated must not
disclose the name or address of the applicant
or any other personal information about him
or her.
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When report
need not be
sent
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(5) If another investigation in relation to the
alleged offence is ongoing apart from the
application, the competent minister need not
send copies of a report described in subsection
(2) or (3) until the other investigation is
suspended or concluded.
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OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENT |
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Contraven- tions
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97. (1) Every person who contravenes
subsection 32(1) or (2), section 33, subsection
36(1), 58(1), 60(1) or 61(1) or section 91 or 92
or any prescribed provision of a regulation or
an emergency order, or who fails to comply
with an alternative measures agreement the
person has entered into under this Act,
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Prescription
of provisions
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(2) A regulation or emergency order may
prescribe which of its provisions may give rise
to an offence.
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Subsequent
offence
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(3) If a person is convicted of an offence a
subsequent time, the amount of the fine for the
subsequent offence may, despite subsection
(1), be double the amount set out in that
subsection.
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Continuing
offence
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(4) A person who commits or continues an
offence on more than one day is liable to be
convicted for a separate offence for each day
on which the offence is committed or
continued.
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Fines
cumulative
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(5) A fine imposed for an offence involving
more than one animal, plant or other organism
may be calculated in respect of each one as
though it had been the subject of a separate
information and the fine then imposed is the
total of that calculation.
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Additional
fine
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(6) If a person is convicted of an offence and
the court is satisfied that monetary benefits
accrued to the person as a result of the
commission of the offence, the court may
order the person to pay an additional fine in an
amount equal to the court's estimation of the
amount of the monetary benefits, which
additional fine may exceed the maximum
amount of any fine that may otherwise be
imposed under this Act.
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Officers, etc.,
of
corporations
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98. If a corporation commits an offence, any
officer, director, agent or mandatory of the
corporation who directed, authorized,
assented to, or acquiesced or participated in,
the commission of the offence is a party to and
guilty of the offence and is liable on
conviction to the punishment provided for the
offence, whether or not the corporation has
been prosecuted or convicted.
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Offences by
employees or
agents
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99. In any prosecution for an offence, the
accused may be convicted of the offence if it
is established that it was committed by an
employee, agent or mandatory of the accused,
whether or not the employee, agent or
mandatory has been prosecuted for the
offence.
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Due diligence
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100. Due diligence is a defence in a
prosecution for an offence.
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Venue
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101. A prosecution for an offence may be
instituted, heard and determined in the place
where the offence was committed, the
subject-matter of the prosecution arose, the
accused was apprehended or the accused
happens to be or is carrying on business.
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Sentencing
considera- tions
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102. A court that imposes a sentence shall
take into account, in addition to any other
principles that it is required to consider, the
following factors:
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Forfeiture
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103. (1) If a person is convicted of an
offence, the convicting court may, in addition
to any punishment imposed, order that any
seized thing by means of or in relation to
which the offence was committed, or any
proceeds of its disposition, be forfeited to Her
Majesty.
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Return if no
forfeiture
ordered
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(2) If the convicting court does not order the
forfeiture, the seized thing, or the proceeds of
its disposition, must be returned to its lawful
owner or the person lawfully entitled to it.
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Retention or
sale
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104. If a fine is imposed on a person
convicted of an offence, any seized thing, or
any proceeds of its disposition, may be
retained until the fine is paid or the thing may
be sold in satisfaction of the fine and the
proceeds applied, in whole or in part, in
payment of the fine.
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Orders of
court
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105. If a person is convicted of an offence,
the court may, in addition to any punishment
imposed and having regard to the nature of the
offence and the circumstances surrounding its
commission, make an order having any or all
of the following effects:
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Suspended
sentence
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106. (1) If a person is convicted of an
offence and the court suspends the passing of
sentence under paragraph 731(1)(a) of the
Criminal Code, the court may, in addition to
any probation order made under that Act,
make an order containing one or more of the
prohibitions, directions or requirements
mentioned in section 105.
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Imposition of
sentence
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(2) If the person does not comply with the
order or is convicted of another offence,
within three years after the order is made, the
court may, on the application of the
prosecution, impose any sentence that could
have been imposed if the passing of sentence
had not been suspended.
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Limitation
period
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107. (1) Proceedings by way of summary
conviction in respect of an offence may be
commenced at any time within, but not later
than, two years after the day on which the
subject-matter of the proceedings became
known to the competent minister.
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Competent
minister's
certificate
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(2) A document appearing to have been
issued by the competent minister, certifying
the day on which the subject-matter of any
proceedings became known to the competent
minister, is admissible in evidence without
proof of the signature or official character of
the person appearing to have signed the
document and is proof of the matter asserted
in it.
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References to
the competent
minister
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(3) A reference to the competent minister in
this section includes a provincial or territorial
minister if the competent minister has
delegated responsibility for the enforcement
of this Act, the regulations or an emergency
order in the province or territory to the
provincial or territorial minister and the
offence is alleged to have been committed in
the province or territory.
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ALTERNATIVE MEASURES |
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When
alternative
measures may
be used
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108. (1) Alternative measures may be used
to deal with a person who is alleged to have
committed an offence, but only if it is not
inconsistent with the purposes of this Act to do
so and the following conditions are met:
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Restriction on
use
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(2) Alternative measures may not be used to
deal with a person who
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Admissions
not admissible
in evidence
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(3) No admission, confession or statement
accepting responsibility for a given act or
omission made by a person as a condition of
being dealt with by alternative measures is
admissible in evidence against the person in
any civil or criminal proceedings.
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Dismissal of
charge
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(4) A court must dismiss a charge laid
against a person in respect of an offence if
alternative measures have been used to deal
with the person in respect of the alleged
offence and
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