Studies & Bills

Orders of Reference

An order of reference is a decision of the Senate authorizing a committee to undertake the study of an issue, bill or other matter. Most committees require an order of reference before they can undertake such work. However, three committees are empowered by the Rules of the Senate to act on their own initiative without a prior order of reference from the Senate. These are the Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament; the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; and the Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators.

Studies & Bills	Order of Reference	Session	note	note
Examine the provisions and operation of An Act to amend the National Defence Act (court martial) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act (S.C. 2008, c.¸29)	2008-06-26	39-2
Bill C-299, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (identification information obtained by fraud or false pretence)	2008-05-27	39-2
Bill C-428, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (methamphetamine),	2008-05-27	39-2
Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Judges Act	2008-05-14	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 4:10 PM Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:47 AM The Honourable Thomas J. Burke, Q.C., M.L.A., Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Consumer Affairs, Government of New Brunswick (Government of New Brunswick) Sébastien Grammond, Vice-Dean (Research) and Associate Professor, Civil Law Section, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa (As an individual) Debbie Hackett, Director of Policy and Planning (New Brunswick Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs) Alfred A. Mamo, Principal, Alfred A. Mamo & Associates (As an individual) Anne McKay, Director of Program Support Services, Court Services Division (New Brunswick Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs) Jacob Ziegel, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (As an individual) Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 4:07 PM The Honourable Jerome P. Kennedy, M.H.A., Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada () Judith Bellis, General Counsel and Director, Judicial Affairs, Courts and Tribunal Policy (Department of Justice Canada) John FitzGerald, Provincial Representative in Ottawa (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) Catherine Mckinnon, Counsel, Judicial Affairs, Courts and Tribunal Policy (Department of Justice Canada) Ken Morrissey, Director of Communications, Department of Justice (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) David Near, Judicial Affairs Advisor, Minister's Office (Department of Justice Canada)
Bill C-343, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (motor vehicle theft)	2008-04-10	39-2
Bill S-225, An Act to amend the State Immunity Act and the Criminal Code (deterring terrorism by providing a civil right of action against perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism)	2008-04-09	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 4:05 PM Maureen Basnicki (As an individual) Victor D. Comras, Special Counsel, Eren Law Firm (As an individual) Bal Gupta (Air India Victims Families Association) Sherri Wise (As an individual) Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 10:48 AM Ed Morgan, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (As an individual) The Honourable Bob Rae, P.C., M.P., Former Independent Advisor to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness on outstanding questions with respect to the bombing of Air India Flight 182 (As an individual) Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 10:48 AM Aaron Blumenfeld, Senior Legal Advisor (Canadian Coalition Against Terror) Mark Carter, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Saskatchewan (As an individual) Anne McGillivray, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba (As an individual) Eric Roher, Partner, Borden, Ladner, Gervais, LLP (As an individual) Sheryl Saperia, Legal Advisor and Advocacy Coordinator (Canadian Coalition Against Terror) The Honourable Senator David Tkachuk, sponsor of the bill (Senate of Canada)
Bill S-209, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children)	2008-03-13	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 4:10 PM Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 10:48 AM Aaron Blumenfeld, Senior Legal Advisor (Canadian Coalition Against Terror) Mark Carter, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Saskatchewan (As an individual) Anne McGillivray, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba (As an individual) Eric Roher, Partner, Borden, Ladner, Gervais, LLP (As an individual) Sheryl Saperia, Legal Advisor and Advocacy Coordinator (Canadian Coalition Against Terror) The Honourable Senator David Tkachuk, sponsor of the bill (Senate of Canada) Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 6:31 PM John Hancock, Senior Solicitor (YouthLaw) Dr. Ian Hassall, Former New Zealand Commissioner for Children (As an individual) Rosslyn Noonan, Chief Commissioner (New Zealand Human Rights Commission) Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 3:02 PM Norm Boxall, Vice-President (Criminal Lawyers Association) Greg Del Bigio, Chair, National Criminal Justice Section (Canadian Bar Association) Peter M. Dudding, Executive Director (Child Welfare League of Canada) Kerri Froc, Legal Policy Analyst (Canadian Bar Association) Chief Superintendent Fraser Macaulay, Director General, National Youth Strategy (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Donald Stuart, Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University (As an individual) Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 10:48 AM Mark Lapowich (Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers) Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 4:08 PM The Honourable Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette, P.C., sponsor of the bill (As an Individual)
Bill S-224, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (vacancies)	2008-03-04	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:50 AM Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 4:00 PM The Honourable Peter Van Loan, P.C., M.P., Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform (As an Individual) David Anderson, Senior Policy Advisor, Democratic Reform (Privy Council Office) Dan McDougall, Director, Strategic Analysis and Planning, Democratic Reform (Privy Council Office) Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 10:50 AM Errol P. Mendes, Professor, Common Law Section, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa (As an individual) Gérald R. Tremblay, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP (As an individual) Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 4:15 PM Don Desserud, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of New Brunswick (As an individual) C.E.S. (Ned) Franks, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Studies, Queen's University (As an individual) David Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan (As an individual) Jennifer Smith, Professor, Department of Political Science, Dalhousie University (As an individual) Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 10:50 AM Diane R. Davidson, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel and Regulatory Affairs (Elections Canada) Marc Mayrand, Chief Electoral Officer (Elections Canada) The Honourable Senator Wilfred P. Moore, sponsor of the bill (Senate of Canada) Stéphane Perrault, Senior General Counsel and Senior Director (Elections Canada)
A comprehensive review of the amendments made by An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act (S.C. 2004, c.24)	2008-02-28	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 4:00 PM The Honourable Peter Van Loan, P.C., M.P., Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform (As an Individual) David Anderson, Senior Policy Advisor, Democratic Reform (Privy Council Office) Dan McDougall, Director, Strategic Analysis and Planning, Democratic Reform (Privy Council Office) Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 10:50 AM Errol P. Mendes, Professor, Common Law Section, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa (As an individual) Gérald R. Tremblay, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP (As an individual) Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 4:15 PM Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 10:50 AM Anna Di Carlo, Secretary (Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada) Miguel Figueroa, Leader (Communist Party of Canada) Peter Graham, Finance Critic (Green Party of Canada) Ron Gray, Leader (Christian Heritage Party of Canada) Nelson Wiseman, Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies, University of Toronto (As an individual) Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 4:06 PM Jack Siegel, Co-Chair, Standing Committee on the Constitution and Legal Affairs (Libertarian Party of Canada) Greg Fergus, National Director (Liberal Party of Canada) Éric Hébert Daly, National Director (New Democratic Party of Canada) Laurel McCallum, Representative of the Leader (People's Political Power of Canada) The Honourable Sinclair M. Stevens, P.C., Leader (Progressive Canadian Party) Liz White, Leader (Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada) Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 4:10 PM Diane R. Davidson, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel (Elections Canada) Marc Mayrand, Chief Electoral Officer (Elections Canada) Michèle René de Cotret, General Counsel (Elections Canada)
Bill S-210, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings)	2008-02-18	39-2
Show/Hide the list of witnesses Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 4:15 PM Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 10:53 AM William Trudell, Chair (Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers) The Honourable Reuben Bromstein, President (Canadians Against Suicide Bombing) Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 4:15 PM Leo Adler, Adler Bytensky Prutschi Barristers (As an individual) The Honourable Jerahmiel S. Grafstein, sponsor of the bill (Senate of Canada) Patrick Monahan, Dean, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (As an individual) Ed Morgan, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (As an individual) Mark Sandler, Cooper & Sandler Barristers & Solicitors (As an individual) Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 10:52 AM Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell, National Security Criminal Investigations (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 4:03 PM Glen Gilmour, Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section (Department of Justice Canada) Sabine Nölke, Director, United Nations, Human Rights and Economic Law Division (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada) Yves Parent, Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section (Department of Justice Canada)