Victim’s right to information
Victims have the right to ask for information about the justice system, services available to them, and information about the progress of their case and the status of the person who harmed them.
Information Available to Victims
Right to information
Victims can request information about:
- The criminal justice system and the role of victims;
- Available victim services and programs, including restorative justice programs; and,
- Their right to make a complaint if, in their opinion, their rights have not been respected.
Victims can also request information about their case, including:
- The status and outcome of the investigation;
- The scheduling, progress and final outcome of criminal proceedings;
- Any review of an offender’s conditional release, and the timing and conditions of that release;
- Copies of any orders about bail, conditional sentence, and probation; and
- Information about an accused who has been found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder while that person is under the jurisdiction of a court or a Review Board.
Courts must ask the Crown if reasonable steps were taken to let the victim know of a plea agreement for murder or for serious personal injury offences, or on request by the victim for offences that carry a potential sentence of imprisonment of five years or more.
These rights are available to victims as of July 23, 2015 (90 days after Royal Assent to the Victims Bill of Rights Act).
Information for Registered Victims
Within the federal corrections and conditional release system, victims have the right to:
Text version
Within the federal corrections and conditional release system, victims have the right to
- Information: about reviews, timing and conditions of offender’s conditional release under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA).
- Protection: to have their security considered; to have reasonable and necessary measures taken to protect them against retaliation and intimidation.
- Participation: to communicate and have their views considered.
Upon request, a victim may be able to access information throughout the federal corrections and conditional release system:
- Offender sentenced to federal sentence (2 years or more)
- Escorted Temporary Absence (ETA)
- Unescorted Temporary Absence (UTA)
- Work Release
- Day Parole Eligibility
- Full Parole Eligibility
- Statutory Release
- Warrant Expiry Date (WED)
Upon request, victims may also receive:
Information about the offender and their sentence
- The offender’s name, age, offence, sentence length, penitentiary placement and transfers
- Victim-offender mediation services
- Information about the offender’s correctional plan and progress
- Correctional programs and serious disciplinary offences
- Whether the offender has been removed from Canada
- Whether the offender is in custody and if not, why not
Information about the offender’s conditional release
- Eligibility dates and reviews for conditional release
- Timing, destination, and conditions of release
- Appeals of release decisions and detention reviews
- Access to a photo of the offender prior to release
- Easier access to parole decisions
Victims are protected and can participate by:
- Submitting or attending and presenting statements at parole hearings. Reasonable and necessary conditions to protect victims may be imposed on an offender’s conditional release, whether a victim submits a statement or not.
- Being informed by the releasing authority before release conditions are changed or removed if a victim provided a statement and consider their views.
- Requesting access to an audio recording of the parole hearing or a copy of the decision if they do not attend the hearing.
For more information about how victims of federal offenders can register to receive information, call:
- Correctional Service of Canada at 1-866-806-2275
- Parole Board of Canada at 1-866-789-4636
- Public Safety Canada’s National Office for Victims at 1-866-525-0554
Disclaimer: This infographic contains general information only and is not intended as legal advice.
Victims who have registered with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) or the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) are also able to get information about:
- The status of the offender who harmed them;
- The offender’s release date, destination and conditions of release 14 days prior to the release, unless the disclosure would have a negative impact on public safety;
- Information about an offender’s progress in relation to their correctional plan;
- A current photo of the offender prior to certain releases or the offender’s warrant expiry date;
- Notification when a federal offender has been removed from Canada by the Canada Border Services Agency;
- Copies of PBC decisions; and
- CSC’s victim-offender mediation services.
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