Past Session:

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Third Session, Fortieth Parliament, 2010-11

Chair: The Honourable JOAN FRASER

Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Issue No. 24

First and second (final) meetings on:
Bill C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to the other Acts
(accelerated parole review)

First (final) meeting on:
Bill C-475, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
(methamphetamine and ecstasy)

INCLUDING:
THE NINETEENTH REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
(Bill C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
(accelerated parole review))

THE TWENTIETH REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
(Bill C-475, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
(methamphetamine and ecstasy))

APPEARING:

The Honourable Vic Toews, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety

WITNESSES:

Monday, March 21, 2011

Public Safety Canada:

Mary Campbell, Director General, Corrections Directorate.

Correctional Services Canada:

Don Head, Commissioner.

Parole Board of Canada:

Shelley Trevethan, Executive Director General;

Suzanne Brisebois, Director General, Policy, Planning and Operations..

Office of the Correctional Investigator:

Howard Sapers, Correctional Investigator of Canada;

Ivan Zinger, Executive Director and General Counsel.

Canadian Bar Association:

Gaylene Schellenberg, Lawyer;

John Conroy, Member, Committee on Imprisonment and Release.

Barreau du Québec:

Marc Sauvé, Director of Legal Services;

Stephen Fineberg, Representative.

Association des avocats et avocates en droit carcéral du Québec:

Jacinthe Lanctôt, Vice-President.

Association québécoise des avocats et avocates de la défense:

Joëlle Roy, Vice-President.

Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police:

Vincent Westwick, General Counsel, Ottawa Police Service, and Chair, Law Reform Committee.

Earl Jones Victims Organizing Committee:

Joey Davis, Co-Founder, and Spokesperson.

Mount Real Victims Group:

Janet Watson, Spokesperson and National Victims Coordinator.

John Howard Society of Canada:

Ed McIsaac, Interim Director of Policy.

Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec:

David Henry, Communications and Programs Coordinator.

Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies:

Kim Pate, Executive Director.

Church Council on Justice and Corrections:

Laurent Champagne, President;

Lorraine Berzins, Community Chair of Justice.

As individuals:

Derryl Plecas, Professor;

Irvin Waller, Professor;

Michael Jackson, Professor;

Graham Stewart.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

As an individual:

John Weston, M.P., sponsor of the bill.

Health Canada:

Suzanne Desjardins, Director, Office of Research and Surveillance, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate.

Department of Justice Canada:

Paul Saint-Denis, Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section.

Orchard Recovery Center (by video conference):

Carrie De Jong, Addictions Counsellor.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

The Honourable Joan Fraser, Chair

The Honourable John D. Wallace, Deputy Chair

and

The Honourable Senators:

Angus, Baker, P.C., Boisvenu, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, *Cowan (or Tardif), Joyal, P.C., Lang, *LeBreton, P.C. (or Comeau), Rivest, Runciman

* Ex officio members

(Quorum 4)

Changes in membership of the committee:

Pursuant to rule 85(4), membership of the committee was amended as follows:

The Honourable Senator Campbell replaced the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C., (March 24, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Angus replaced the Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) (March 22, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C. replaced the Honourable Senator Cowan (March 18, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) replaced the Honourable Senator Angus (March 18, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Carignan replaced the Honourable Senator Greene (March 15, 2011).

Legal and Constitutional Affairs