JUST Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 75

Monday, May 11, 2015

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights met in a televised session at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, the Chair, Mike Wallace, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Françoise Boivin, Blaine Calkins, Sean Casey, Bob Dechert, Robert Goguen, Ève Péclet, Kyle Seeback, Mike Wallace and David Wilks.

Acting Members present: Costas Menegakis for Robert Goguen and François Pilon for Pierre Jacob.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Dominique Valiquet, Analyst ; Lyne Casavant, Analyst . House of Commons: David-Andrés Novoa, Legislative Clerk ; Michelle Legault, Procedural Clerk.

Appearing: Hon. Peter Gordon MacKay, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Witnesses: Department of Justice: William F. Pentney, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada; Pierre Legault, Associate Deputy Minister; Donald K. Piragoff, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy Sector; Hal Pruden, Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section.

Delegation: Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada): Vasyl Yanitski, Deputy Head, Supreme Rada Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and Justice ; Victor Korolenko, Head of the Office for Representing the Interests of the President of Ukraine in the Courts, Administration of the President. High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine: Olena Ponomarenko, Chief of the Secretariat. As an individual: Petro Pogrebennyk, Interpreter.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the Committee commenced consideration of the Main Estimates 2015-16: Vote 1 under ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS SUPPORT SERVICE OF CANADA, Vote 1 under CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Votes 1 and 5 under COMMISSIONER FOR FEDERAL JUDICIAL AFFAIRS, vote 1 under COURTS ADMINISTRATION SERVICE, Votes 1 and 5 under JUSTICE, Vote 1 under OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, and Vote 1 under SUPREME COURT OF CANADA, referred to the Committee on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.

The Chair called Vote 1 under ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS SUPPORT SERVICE OF CANADA.

The Minister made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:30 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:32 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Wednesday, October 8, 2014, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-590, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (blood alcohol content).

Hal Pruden answered questions.

The Committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

On Clause 1,

Bob Dechert moved, — That Bill C-590, in Clause 1, be amended by

(a) replacing lines 13 to 21 on page 1 with the following:

“of blood

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years and

(i) in the case of a first offence, to a fine of not less than $2,000 and to imprisonment for not less than 60 days, and

(ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to imprisonment for not less than 240 days; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable

(i) in the case of a first offence, to a fine of not less than $2,000, and

(ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to imprisonment for not less than 30 days.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Bob Dechert and it was agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, carried.

The Title carried.

The Bill, as amended, carried.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

ORDERED, — That Bill C-590, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House at report stage.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee met with a delegation from Ukraine.

The delegates made statements and answered questions.

At 5:30 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Jean-François Pagé
Clerk of the Committee

2015/06/11 2:40 p.m.