Bill C-31

SUMMARY

The enactment amends the Criminal Code, the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Identification of Criminals Act and makes a consequential amendment to the Canada Evidence Act.

Among other things, the amendments

(a) provide greater access to the telewarrant process for peace officers and public officers;

(b) reform the expert evidence regime to give parties more time to prepare and respond to expert evidence;

(c) allow the provinces to authorize programs or establish criteria governing the use of agents by defendants who are individuals;

(d) authorize the fingerprinting of, photographing of or application of other identification processes to, persons who are in lawful custody for specified offences but who have not yet been charged;

(e) expand the jurisdiction of Canadian courts to include bribery offences committed by Canadians outside Canada;

(f) expand the list of permitted sports under the prize fighting provisions;

(g) make minor corrections to the pari-mutuel betting provisions, delete unnecessary provisions and update the calculation of pool payouts;

(h) update the provisions on interceptions of private communications in exceptional circumstances;

(i) reclassify six non-violent offences as hybrid offences;

(j) create an offence of leaving the jurisdiction in contravention of an undertaking or recognizance; and

(k) delete provisions of the Criminal Code that are no longer valid, correct or clarify wording in various provisions and make minor updates to others.