LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE USE OF DEADLY TRAPS
BY CRIMINALS RECEIVES ROYAL ASSENT

OTTAWA, April 22, 2004 - The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today announced that Bill C-14 which creates a new offence for setting deadly traps in places used to commit crimes has received Royal Assent. The legislation also includes amendments to clarify and strengthen the Criminal Code.

"The Government of Canada has taken measures to further ensure the public safety and security of our front line workers, such as police and firefighters, who risk injury or death because of individuals who set deadly traps in order to defend their criminal activities," said Minister Cotler. "Those individuals will face the full measure of the law as a result of this legislation, and where death occurs, criminals will face life imprisonment."

Under the legislation, the maximum penalty for setting a deadly trap in a place that is used or kept for criminal purposes is ten years in prison, increasing to 14 years if injury results, and life imprisonment if death occurs.

The legislation also includes Criminal Code amendments that will:

• Clarify the authority to use reasonable force to prevent criminal activity that could endanger people or property onboard an aircraft in flight;
  
• Adjust the search and seizure warrant provision related to weapons, ammunitions and explosives, to ensure compliance with the Charter and recent case law; and
  
• Make it easier for people to collect restitution money that was ordered to be paid to them following an offender's conviction.

Additional amendments to the Criminal Code and the Financial Administration Act permit the use of measures such as intrusion detection systems for the protection of computer systems from potentially harmful electronic communications, including viruses. Other technical amendments to the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act have been made.

Another technical amendment has been made to clarify that the new preliminary inquiry scheme enacted in former Bill C-15A will apply to all matters for which a preliminary inquiry is currently available. The new preliminary inquiry provisions will come into force on
June 1, 2004.

Bill C-14 was passed by the House of Commons and the Senate and most provisions came into force on Royal Assent.

An online version of Bill C-14 is available at www.parl.gc.ca.

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Denise Rudnicki
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621

Media Relations Office
Department of Justice Canada
(613) 957-4207