Report of the committee
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs has the honour to present its
SIXTH REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-11, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts, has, in obedience to the order of reference of May 28, 2026, examined the said bill and now reports the same with the following amendment:
1.New clause 65.1, page 44: Add the following after line 26:
“Review
65.1 (1) Within three years after the day on which sections 7 and 8 come into force, the Minister of National Defence must, in consultation with the Minister of Justice, cause an independent review to be undertaken of paragraphs 70(d) to (h) and sections 70.1 to 70.3 of the National Defence Act and their application.
(2) Within one year after the review is undertaken, the Minister of National Defence must cause a report on the review to be tabled in each House of Parliament.
(3) The report must be informed by consultations with appropriate authorities in the military and civilian justice systems, victims, advocates, scholars and other stakeholders.
(4) The report must include
(a) statistics on the number of cases involving offences that were prosecuted in the civilian justice system as a result of paragraphs 70(d) to (h) of the National Defence Act, the outcomes of those cases and any other relevant information respecting the application of those paragraphs and sections 70.1 to 70.3 of that Act;
(b) an evaluation of the services available for members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are victims of offences that were prosecuted in the civilian justice system as a result of paragraphs 70(d) to (h) of that Act;
(c) an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the application of paragraphs 70(d) to (h) and sections 70.1 to 70.3 of that Act for the military justice system and the authorities in the military justice system, and measures that may be taken to address those disadvantages;
(d) measures that may be taken to enhance access to justice for members of the Canadian Armed Forces in relation to offences referred to in paragraphs 70(d) to (h) of that Act; and
(e) the Minister of National Defence’s opinion as to whether paragraphs 70(d) to (h) and sections 70.1 to 70.3 of that Act should be repealed.
(5) The report stands referred to the committee of the Senate, the House of Commons or both Houses of Parliament that may be designated or established for the purpose of reviewing the report.
(6) If the report indicates that the Minister of National Defence is of the opinion that paragraphs 70(d) to (h) and sections 70.1 to 70.3 of the National Defence Act should be repealed, the Minister may cause to be filed with the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons a motion for the adoption by each House of Parliament of a resolution that that House agrees with the Minister’s opinion and calls on the government to introduce a bill to repeal those paragraphs and sections.”.
Respectfully submitted,
HASSAN YUSSUFF
Member of the committee
Observations to the Sixth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (Bill C- 11)
The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (the committee) held three meetings from June 8, 2026 to June 10, 2026, and heard from 19 witnesses, on Bill C-11, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts. The witnesses included: the Minister of National Defence; officials from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces; former Canadian Armed Forces members; a representative from a civilian police association; and lawyers and one researcher appearing as individuals. The committee also received written briefs from organizations and individuals, some of whom did not appear as a witness.
Bill C-11 would amend certain provisions of the National Defence Act that relate to Canada’s military justice system.
The committee stresses the importance of the timely appointment of the Director of Military Prosecutions and encourages the Government of Canada to consider extending the time limit for the appointment of the acting Director of Military Prosecutions under the National Defence Act.
The committee expresses its sincere appreciation to the former members of the Canadian Armed Forces who shared their experiences and testimony during its study of the bill and acknowledges the value of their contributions.