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.
This bill proposes changes to the Criminal Code to implement the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in R. v. Jordan, which deals with the right to be tried within a reasonable time. It sets specific time limits for trials: 30 months for superior courts and 18 months for provincial courts. If these limits are exceeded, proceedings must be stopped (stayed), unless exceptional circumstances can be proven by the prosecution. Delays caused by the defence or waived by the defence will not count towards these time limits. This bill aims to ensure accused individuals do not face unreasonable delays while awaiting trial.