JUSTICE MINISTER ANNOUNCES CONSULTATION ON VOYEURISM

OTTAWA, July 31, 2002 -- Today, the Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the launch of a consultation on the creation of new voyeurism offences in the Criminal Code.

"While the advances in technology have expanded our horizons, they have also created new concerns surrounding voyeurism," said Minister Cauchon. "We are consulting with the public on potential strategies to deal with this emerging issue, in order to ensure that any proposed legislation will reflect the concerns of Canadians."

The federal government, in conjunction with the provinces and territories, has identified options concerning the creation of two new offences: one to deal with criminal voyeurism and the other to address the distribution of voyeuristic material.

The consultation is being launched in response to a recommendation from the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Justice meeting held in February 2002.

A copy of Voyeurism as a Criminal Offence: A Consultation Paper and an abridged version can be found on the Department of Justice website at http://www.canada.justice.gc.ca/en/cons/voy. Those with views or questions about the issues raised in the consultation document and summary are invited to submit them to the Department of Justice at: voyeurism-consultation-voyeurisme@justice.gc.ca by September 30, 2002.

The Department of Justice will use the feedback that it receives from these consultations as it develops proposals, for the purpose of tabling new legislation before the end of the year.

- 30 -

Ref.:

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

Suzanne Thébarge
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
(613) 992-4621