Bill Detail
An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts
This enactment amends provisions of the National Defence Act that relate to the military justice system in response to the Report of the Third Independent Review Authority to the Minister of National Defence and the Report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.
In response to those reports, the enactment amends that Act to, among other things,
In addition, the enactment amends the National Defence Act to remove military judges from the summary hearing system and to provide that, in the context of a service offence, an individual acting on behalf of a victim may request that a victim’s liaison officer be appointed to assist them.
It further amends that Act to harmonize the sex offender information and publication ban provisions with the amendments made to the Criminal Code in An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act.
Finally, it amends the Criminal Code to, among other things, provide superior courts of criminal jurisdiction with the jurisdiction to hear applications for an exemption in respect of orders to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act made under the National Defence Act and applications to vary the duration of such orders.
Bill C-66, also known as the Military Justice System Modernization Act, aims to update Canada's military justice system. It introduces changes based on reviews of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Key changes include enhancing the independence of military justice officials, clarifying the Judge Advocate General's role, and altering how certain sexual offences are handled, particularly those alleged to have occurred in Canada.
Furthermore, the bill expands eligibility for military judge appointments, creates a new process for interference complaints within the military police, and renames the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal to Provost Marshal General. It also removes military judges from the summary hearing system and aligns sex offender registration rules with changes in the Criminal Code, affecting how victims and offenders are managed within the military justice system.
Legislative Timeline
Votes
Yes / No Ratio
How each party voted
| Party | Position | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloc | No | 0% | 100% |
| Conservative | Yes | 100% | 0% |
| Forces et Démocratie | Yes | 100% | 0% |
| Green | Didn't vote | 0% | 0% |
| Liberal | No | 0% | 100% |
| NDP | No | 0% | 100% |