Bill Detail
An Act to amend the Criminal Code to address the Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Jordan
This enactment amends the Criminal Code to codify the analytical framework the Supreme Court of Canada set out in its decision in R. v. Jordan regarding the right of an accused awaiting trial before a superior or provincial court to be tried within a reasonable time, and to provide for exceptions to this framework.
Bill C-258 proposes to put into law the rules set by the Supreme Court of Canada in the R. v. Jordan case. These rules are about how long someone can wait for their trial. The bill sets specific time limits: 30 months for trials in superior courts and 18 months for trials in provincial courts. If a trial goes longer than these limits, it can be stopped unless the prosecution can show there were exceptional circumstances causing the delay. Delays caused by the accused person's actions, or delays they agree to, won't count towards these time limits. Some serious crimes (primary designated offences) are excluded from these new rules.