Bill C-479

SUMMARY

The purpose of this enactment is to amend Part II of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act in respect of the following matters:

(a) the parole review of offenders who are serving a sentence of at least two years for an offence involving violence;

(b) the attendance of victims and members of their family at parole review hearings;

(c) the consideration of victims’ statements by the National Parole Board when making a determination regarding the release of an offender;

(d) the manner of presentation of victims’ statements at a parole review hearing;

(e) the providing of information under consideration by the Board to a victim;

(f) the cancellation of a parole review hearing if an offender has repeatedly refused to attend, or waived his or her right to attend, previous hearings;

(g) the providing of transcripts of a parole review hearing to the victim and members of their family and the offender; and

(h) the notification of victims if an offender is to be released on temporary absence, parole or statutory release.