THE STANDING SENATE COMITTMEE ON LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 19, 2022
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[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 4:18 p.m., in room W110, 1 Wellington St., the deputy chair, the Honourable Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Clement, Cotter, Dalphond, Dupuis, Gold, P.C., Klyne, Pate and Simons (9).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senator Gagné (1).

Participating in the meeting:  Laurie-Anne Spooner, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Julian Walker and Michaela Keenan-Pelletier, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the committee continued its consideration of Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

WITNESSES (by videoconference):

Canadian Drug Policy Coalition:

Beeta Senedjani, Dialogues Program Coordinator;

Nicole Luongo, Systems Change Coordinator.

British Columbia Civil Liberties Association:

Niki Bains, Policy Staff Counsel;

Safiyya Ahmad, Student-at-Law.

Pivot Legal Society:

Caitlin Shane, Staff Lawyer.

As an individual:

Julian Roberts, Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Oxford.

Beeta Senedjani, Nicole Luongo, Niki Bains, Safiyya Ahmad and Caitlin Shane each made a statement and answered questions.

At 5:40 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mark Palmer

Clerk of the Committee