Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of Federal Omnibus Crime Bill

This is a follow-up to the October 18, 2007 Library Boy post entitled Canadian Government Tables Omnibus Crime Bill.

The Library of Parliament has prepared a legislative summary of Bill C-2: An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to Make Consequential Amendments to Other Acts:

"Bill C-2, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, was introduced and received first reading in the House of Commons on 18 October 2007. The bill – short title: Tackling Violent Crime Act – groups together five bills that had been dealt with separately in the first session of the 39th Parliament. The five broad categories of legislative measures will create two new firearm offences and provide escalating mandatory sentences of imprisonment for serious firearm offences, reverse the onus on those seeking bail when accused of serious offences involving firearms and other regulated weapons, make it easier to have someone declared a dangerous offender, introduce a new regime for the detection and investigation of drug-impaired driving and increase the penalties for impaired driving, and raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16 years".