Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Issue No. 61 - Minutes of Proceedings - May 8, 2019

OTTAWA, Wednesday, May 8, 2019
(141)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 3:20 p.m., in room W120, 1 Wellington St., the chair, the Honourable Serge Joyal, P.C., presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Carignan, P.C., Dalphond, Dupuis, Dyck, Gold, Joyal, P.C., Lankin, P.C., McIntyre, Miville-Dechêne and Pratte (11).

In attendance: Julian Walker and Maxime Charron-Tousignant, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, Library of Parliament.

Also present: The official stenographers of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, April 4, 2019, the committee continued its examination of Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 60.)

WITNESSES:

Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime:

Heidi Illingworth, Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.

Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared:

Bruno Serre, President;

Nancy Roy, General Manager.

As an individual:

Annie Saint-Onge.

Pivot Legal Society:

Caitlin Shane, Staff Lawyer (by video conference);

Naomi Moses, Lawyer (by video conference).

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter:

Hilla Kerner, Collective Member (by video conference).

Manitoba Organization for Victims Assistance:

Karen Wiebe, Executive Director (by video conference).

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls:

Marion Buller, Chief Commissioner (by video conference);

Qajaq Robinson, Commissioner.

All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking:

The Honourable Senator Dan Christmas, Co-Chair;

Arnold Viersen, Member of Parliament, Co-Chair.

The chair made a statement.

Ms. Illingworth, Mr. Serre and Ms. Saint-Onge each made a statement and, together with Ms. Roy, answered questions.

At 4:25 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 4:30 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Caitlin, Mx. Moses, Ms. Kerner and Ms. Wiebe each made a statement and answered questions.

At 5:17 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 5:24 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Buller, Mr. Viersen and the Honourable Senator Christmas each made a statement and, together with Ms. Robinson, answered questions.

At 6:30 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Keli Hogan
Clerk of the Committee