OTTAWA, December 2, 2004 – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today announced the coming into force of terrorist hoax provisions in the Criminal Code.

"We have strengthened the law to better address terrorist hoaxes that provoke fear of death or serious harm," said Minister Cotler. "Such acts can cause severe panic, system disruptions and a waste of critical security resources."

New offences now target those who convey false information or commit acts leading to a mistaken belief in the occurrence of a terrorist act. They apply only in cases where the intent was to cause fear of death, bodily harm, substantial damage to property, or serious interference with the lawful use or operation of property.

The maximum penalty for the base terrorist hoax offence is five-years imprisonment. Penalties increase to a maximum of ten years if the hoax causes bodily harm and life imprisonment if it causes death.

Given the seriousness of these crimes, amendments have also been made to the Criminal Code provisions for intercepting private communications in appropriate cases to ensure they apply to these new offences.

These Criminal Code amendments build on the definition of "terrorist activity" established by the Anti-Terrorism Act, and criminalize those involved in terrorism hoaxes. The provisions were included in the Public Safety Act, legislation designed to improve Canada's capacity to prevent terrorist attacks, protect citizens and respond quickly should a threat be identified. The Public Safety Act received Royal Assent in May 2004.

An online version of the legislation is available at: www.parl.gc.ca.

Ref.:

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

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