Government of Canada Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence

The government of Canada has released its report on what it heard during consultations on copyright and artificial intelligence that took place between October 12, 2023, and January 15, 2024.

"The consultation sought feedback on three key copyright policy areas related to generative AI technology:

1. the use of copyright-protected works in the training of AI systems, notably for text and data mining (TDM) activities;
2. authorship and ownership rights related to AI-generated content; and
3. questions of liability, notably when AI-generated content infringes copyright."

"While these issues were outlined in the paper, participants in the consultation were also able to raise any other issues they thought important. A number of additional concerns about AI were raised frequently in the consultation. Some of these concerns related to copyright, while others may require consideration outside the copyright framework."

The report summarizes various "observations" that emerged from the consultations as follows:

• Observation 1: Creators oppose the use of their content in AI without consent and compensation
• Observation 2: User groups support clarifications that TDM does not infringe copyright
• Observation 3: Support for greater transparency regarding TDM inputs
• Observation 4: Support for the centrality of human authorship
• Observation 5: No consensus about whether existing legal tests and remedies are adequate
• Observation 6: No consensus about who may be liable for infringing AI-generated content
• Observation 7: Support for greater transparency to facilitate determining liability
• Observation 8: Concerns raised on the use of Indigenous cultural expressions in AI
• Observation 9: Some support for labelling of AI-generated content
• Observation 10: Some concern over the use of performers’ likenesses in deepfakes
• Observation 11: Concerns about negative impacts of AI on job security and unfair competition 

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week

Among other documents, the most recent list features:

• Public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions : final report (The Honourable Marie-Josée Hogue, Commissioner): "I also note from the evidence that Canada has responded to attempts at foreign interference with measures and mechanisms to  better detect, deter and counter them. I took note of the competence, dedication and experience of the members of Canada’s senior public service and national security and intelligence community who testified before me. These men and women, who work in the shadows and beyond partisan lines, play a crucial role in safeguarding our democratic institutions, and they do it well. That said, the government’s response has been far from perfect: I have observed that the government has sometimes taken too long to act, and that coordination between the various players involved has not always been optimal. Processes by which information had to be passed on to certain decision-makers, including elected officials, have not proved as effective as they should have been.  In addition, the government has proven to be a poor communicator and insufficiently transparent when it comes to foreign interference. The measures implemented over the past two years, along with several statements made on the matter, suggest that the government is now prioritizing the fight against foreign interference. This must continue. (from Volume 1 - Word from the Commissioner)"
• Protecting language rights : overview of the Commissioner's interventions in the courts (2018-2025) (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages): "Here I am—already at the end of a seven-year mandate as Commissioner of Official Languages, during which great progress has been made in terms of language rights in Canada. As the cases I participated in—either as a party or intervener—throughout my mandate show, I have not hesitated to appear in court to both protect language rights and advance jurisprudence in this area. Unsurprisingly, I have been involved in many cases involving my enabling statute, defending fundamental rights such as access to the courts in the official language of one’s choice, the public’s right to receive services and communications in the official language of their choice, the right to work in the official language of one’s choice in the public service and the vitality of official language minority communities. Like my predecessors, I also took every opportunity to make innovative arguments before the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the right to minority-language education, as is constitutionally protected by section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Lastly, twice before the Supreme Court of Canada, I helped protect access to the courts in the official language of one’s choice under section 530 of the Criminal Code. Reflecting on all these cases, I am finishing out my mandate with cautious optimism about the protection of language rights for individuals and official language communities in Canada. (Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages)"
• What We Heard - The Law Commission of Canada in Listen & Learn Mode June to December 2024: "When the LCC officially resumed its operations in June 2023, it immediately began its formal engagement with individuals and organizations who, each in their own ways, embodied aspects of the agency’s raison d’être: living law, pursuing justice, renewing hope. Through roundtables, multilateral discussions, individual meetings, larger conferences, and informal conversations, the LCC sought to develop an understanding of the law reform and justice landscape in Canada and beyond. These engagements bore many fruits: they helped to uncover issues which interlocutors considered pressing or likely to emerge on the horizon; they presented an opportunity to understand interesting initiatives already underway, so as to avoid unintended duplication and to identify potential partnerships; and the roundtables and multilateral discussions served as a site for mutually beneficial exchange, allowing participants to learn about the work and perspectives of others, and to form connections across their endeavours (...) This is the LCC’s third What We Heard report, covering the period from June to December 2024. It sets out the preoccupations, projects, and possibilities that emerged from the LCC’s engagements during that period, including: Listen & Learn roundtables with faculties of law; meetings with Parliamentarians; participation in numerous conferences; discussions with scholars interested in questions of law and justice; focus circles with subject-matter experts; and rich exchanges with members of the judiciary, public policy makers, and community organizations."

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week. 

Among other documents, the most recent list features Canada's action plan on combatting hate:

The Acquisitions List also includes links to many of the recent Departmental Results Reports (DRRs). These are annual performance reports by individual federal government departments and agencies. The reports measure their performance as against the plans, priorities and expected results in their annual plans.

The Treasury Board Secretariat has gathered the various DRRs on one page for ease of consultation.

Annual Report of the Law Commission of Canada

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week. 

The most recent issue includes the most recent annual report of the Law Commission of Canada (LCC).

The LCC was created by an Act of Parliament to provide independent, non-partisan guidance on the evolution of law in Canada.

Recent Justice Canada Publications from the Government of Canada Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week. 

Some of the documents in the most recent list include the following material from Justice Canada:

• Justice in Official Languages - Newsletter (Summer 2024): "The year 2024 is in the midst of a transitional period for official languages in Canada. Since the new Action Plan for Official Languages was unveiled on April 26, 2023, and the Act to Amend the Official Languages Act (OLA) was given Royal Assent on June 20, 2023, the justice in Official Languages sector has had to adapt and innovate more than ever. We hope this issue of the Newsletter will shed some light on this period of change and help you discover the sector trends driving our work. We would also like to recognize the efforts of all of those who are working so hard to make access to justice more equitable for members of official language minority communities (OLMCs). Their efforts are not going unnoticed. This issue begins with an article summarizing the new priorities of the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund (Support Fund) for the five-year period from 2023 to 2028. In particular, you will learn about the new investment priorities, which focus on two main areas: supporting OLMCs and supporting the justice system. These priorities are designed to meet the needs identified by OLMCs and other justice sector stakeholders."
• Developing an Indigenous Justice Strategy: A compilation of thought papers by Indigenous legal experts: "In 2021, Justice Canada received funding to support First Nations-, Inuit- and Métis-led engagements (2022– 2024) to gain insight from communities and organizations on how to address systemic barriers in the criminal justice system. In addition, Justice Canada led a series of distinctions-based and regional engagement sessions (2022–2023) to identify concrete actions that could be undertaken in the areas of crime prevention, policing and diversion, courts, corrections, and reintegration (...) In addition to supporting community engagements, Justice Canada commissioned a series of thought papers written by Indigenous legal experts, to help identify what an Indigenous Justice Strategy in Canada could and should include. The authors were asked to provide aspirational visions for the future—a path forward, using strength-based approaches to complement and expand previous work by researchers, inquiries, and commissions that have documented challenges and problems with the justice system. The purpose of these papers was to help facilitate a decolonizing approach to informing an Indigenous Justice Strategy, by providing a space for diverse Indigenous perspectives that respects Indigenous values, philosophies and knowledge."
• Out-of-court dispute resolution for families experiencing separation or divorce in Canada: "In the area of family justice, using the courts to resolve disputes upon separation or divorce for such issues as each parent’s decision-making responsibilities and time with their children, child and spousal support and division of property has proven to be expensive, lengthy and difficult for the parties. As such, governments have long tried to encourage the use of mediation or conciliation – dispute resolution outside of the courts – to resolve issues (...) In 2023 the Department of Justice Canada contracted with Catherine Tait Consulting to research government-funded out-of-court dispute resolution services provided in Canada that assist families experiencing separation and divorce (...) This report outlines the research findings. The two next sections describe the research scope and methodology. This is followed by a summary of the commonalities and differences among programs, focussing on the programs’ scope, service delivery model, response to and impacts of the pandemic, other recent changes impacting the programs and their service volumes, success indicators and data collection. "

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week. 

Some of the documents in the most recent list include:

• Missing records, missing children : interim report of the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples: "Despite progress on uncovering the truth surrounding residential schools, grey areas remain. The committee’s recent work found that many questions remain unanswered regarding the transfer of records about residential schools to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. As such, the committee decided to do a focused study to hear from federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as from Catholic entities who have not yet fulfilled the requirements stipulated under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement to remit records. Records are scattered across the country with no way of finding them other than traveling to a location and physically searching through dense linear feet of paper records. Indigenous families must conduct such searches to determine what happened to their children who went missing while attending the schools, or who went missing from health or social services institutions administered by provincial or territorial governments. This report, entitled Missing Children, Missing Records, makes 11 recommendations to improve access to residential school records. The key message is that the Government of Canada needs to support Indigenous communities to locate and access residential school records. The committee believes the federal Documents Advisory Committee is an important initiative and recommends that its work be funded and supported by dedicated staff to ensure it can meet its mandate."
• Emergency Preparedness and Response in Canada for People Living with Dementia (Public Health Agency of Canada): "This public opinion research report presents the results of online focus groups/dyads and in-depth interviews conducted by Narrative Research on behalf of Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to better understand the current state of emergency preparedness and response guidance and the adequacy of measures to protect and support people living with dementia during emergency situations, with a particular focus on how to better prepare for future climate-related emergency situations. The research included a total of 25 online focus groups of various sizes, two dyad and 11 indepth interviews conducted from January 25th to February 23rd, 2024, divided into the following categories: people living with dementia who confirmed their ability to participate, unpaid caregivers to people living with dementia, and paid care providers who care for and interact, either directly or indirectly, with people living with dementia in a professional capacity, including paid care and support personnel, first responders, and government/logistical planners. Good geographic coverage was achieved across Canada and various community sizes were represented, including large urban, small/medium size urban, and rural areas."
• Report of the second legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (Health Canada): "In Canada, responsibility for health-related matters such as tobacco control is shared between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) is the federal legislation that regulates the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of tobacco and vaping products. Each province and territory also has laws and regulations in place for tobacco control. These pieces of legislation work together with other tobacco control tools such as policy and programs, to address tobacco-related disease and death. As written in the legislation, the TVPA’s overall purpose is to 'provide a legislative response to a national public health problem of substantial and pressing concern and to protect the health of Canadians in light of conclusive evidence implicating tobacco use in the incidence of numerous debilitating and fatal diseases'. It supports four specific objectives related to tobacco products: to protect young persons and others from inducements to use tobacco products and the consequent dependence on them; to protect the health of young persons by restricting access to tobacco products; to prevent the public from being deceived or misled with respect to the health hazards of using tobacco products; and to enhance public awareness of those hazards. The TVPA includes a requirement for a legislative review of its provisions and operation to take place every two years. This review assessed whether progress was made towards achieving the tobacco-related objectives of the TVPA and whether the federal response, from a legislative perspective, is sufficient in addressing tobacco use in Canada."

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List is a list of publications by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week. 

Some of the documents in the most recent list include:

• Audit of Indigenous Intervention Centres (Correctional Service Canada): "The NIP [National Indigenous Plan] provides a national framework to transform Indigenous case management and corrections with an Indigenous first approach through enhancing various policies, operations and practices to better meet the needs of Indigenous offenders. The NIP includes streamlining existing Indigenous resources and services to ensure that Indigenous offenders have earlier access to parole and Indigenous interventions. Key components of the NIP include: Indigenous Intervention Centres, (...) enhanced case management, Elder and liaison services, section 84/81 enhancement, Offender’s Security Level reviews, and reintegration."
• Audit of Sentence Management (Correctional Service Canada): "CSC [Correctional Service Canada] is responsible for reviewing and analyzing court-imposed sentences in order to prepare a timeline for each offender that includes all sentences. This timeline takes into account any additional impact resulting from decisions made by the courts or the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) throughout the offender’s sentence. The interpretation and application of the legal provisions are less complex when the offender is serving a single sentence. However, many offenders receive multiple sentences, which may be imposed at different times, as a result of multiple convictions. Offenders convicted of multiple offences may be required by the court to serve consecutive sentences, concurrent sentences, or a combination of the two, making the sentence timeline more complex to calculate. It is therefore important for CSC to have an effective management framework and a system of controls in place to ensure that each admission or release of an offender is in compliance with current and historical legislation."
• Legal Aid in Canada 2022-2023 (Justice Canada): "While policy development related to criminal legal aid is a shared federal/provincial/territorial responsibility, each province and territory is responsible for the delivery of legal aid services based on their own policies and procedures. This report provides national level statistics on revenues, expenditures, personnel, and caseloads from legal aid service providers across Canada. Justice Canada has produced the Legal Aid in Canada report since 2016-17, and this is the seventh annual edition. This year’s report includes data from the 2022-23 fiscal year, as well as trend data from the past five years."

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

Some of the documents in the most recent list include:

• Former Indian Residential Schools Environmental Scan: Status of Sites and Buildings (Indigenous Services Canada): "The Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement was the result of a national class action litigation on behalf of former students of the Indian Residential Schools system. Implementation of the Settlement Agreement began on September 19, 2007 and addresses the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools (...) n May 27, 2021, Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation in British Columbia announced that a search by ground penetrating radar identified 215 unmarked burials of children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. This was a confirmation of known stories for Indigenous peoples, and a tragic reminder of the history and legacy of residential schools. Following this confirmation, federal departments deployed efforts to support communities, Survivors and families (...) To further support Survivors and communities in addressing the legacy of residential schools, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) undertook the IRS Environmental Scan in 2022-2023. The IRS Environmental Scan includes contemporary information on location, ownership, and condition of residential school buildings and sites building on publicly available data sets ... and publicly available information."
• Working with victims of hate (Justice Canada): "This chapter first focuses on the definition of hate crimes, to give support workers an idea of the scope of what might happen to victims. The chapter then moves to professional issues one should consider when working with any victim, but especially victims of hate crimes. This highlights general issues that support workers need to understand when dealing with sensitive issues around culture, prejudice, and society. In our current cultural context, one cannot ignore the role of the internet and social networks as a  medium for hate and hate groups as well as supports for perpetrators. Finally, the chapter concludes with a focus on the psychological impact of being a hate crime victim, including suggestions on what support workers might do to help victims."

Recent Library of Parliament Legislative Summaries

The Library of Parliament in Ottawa has recently published a number of legislative summaries of important federal bills.

Among them are:

• Legislative Summary of Bill C-20: An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments: "Bill C-20 establishes the independent Public Complaints and Review Commission (the Commission) to review and  investigate complaints against employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The Commission replaces the existing Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) which reviews complaints against the RCMP. Currently, no oversight authority is responsible for reviewing complaints against the CBSA."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act: "The bill amends the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to accomplish several distinct legislative objectives, including: providing for two additional days of advance polling; moving the next fixed election date; regulating voting at long-term care institutions; updating the process for voting by mail (special ballot); regulating voting at post-secondary educational institutions; amending the requirements relating to political parties’ policies for the protection of personal information; amending or creating new prohibitions pertaining to the electoral process; amending the regime applicable to third-party financing; granting new powers to the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE); and requiring the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to report to Parliament on potential changes to the electoral process."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-50: An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy: "The Government of Canada describes this legislative initiative as the product of comprehensive consultation, the purpose of which is to establish both a plan and mechanisms for governance and accountability to place the federal government in a better position to support workers and communities as Canada works to build a net-zero economy."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-69: An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024: "Part 1 implements various income tax measures through amendments to the Income Tax Act and related statutes and regulations, including increasing the home buyers’ plan withdrawal limit and deferring the repayment period, creating the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, and providing a refundable investment tax credit to qualified businesses for certain investments in clean technology manufacturing property (clauses 2 to 80). Part 2 enacts the Global Minimum Tax Act, which is a regime based on the Rules of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, that ensures that large multinational corporations are subject to a minimum effective tax rate of 15% on their profits wherever they do business (clauses 81 to 111). Part 3 repeals the temporary relief for supplies of certain face masks, respirators and shields from the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax, and implements certain measures regarding excise duty in respect of tobacco and vaping products, beer, spirits and wine. It also implements certain changes to the Underused Housing Tax (clauses 112 to 148). Part 4, which is divided into 44 divisions, implements various  measures. It amends numerous existing Acts that cover many areas of law. It also enacts the Consumer-Driven Banking Act (clauses 149 to 468)."

Library of Parliament legislative summaries summarize bills currently before Parliament and provide background information about them in an objective and impartial manner. They are prepared the Library's research staff which carries out research for and provides information and analysis to parliamentarians, Senate and House of Commons committees and parliamentary associations. Legislative summaries are revised as needed to reflect amendments made to bills as they move through the legislative process.

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

Some of the documents in the most recent list include:

• Electronic records as documentary evidence (Canadian General Standards Board): "CAN/CGSB-72.34 specifies principles, methods, and practices for the creation (i.e. making, receipt, and capture) and management of all forms of electronic records (e.g. e-mail, cartographic, audio-visual, textual, multimedia, etc.) to support their admissibility [see admissibility (records), admissibility (rules), and weight (of evidence)] as evidences in legal proceedings. Because this standard provides only general legal, management and technical information, users should seek further advice before applying its recommendations to specific records or systems. This standard is harmonized with applicable federal, provincial and territorial acts in force and their pursuant regulation at the time of the Committee’s deliberations. Where differences exist between an act or a regulation and this standard, the former will prevail."
• Annual Report 2023-2024 (Communications Security Establishment): "Canada is facing new and evolving security threats, including climate change and its impacts on the Arctic, cybercrime, violent extremism, and threats from Russia, China, and other nation states to the international rules that keep us all safe. But the work CSE is doing across all aspects of its mandate plays a significant role in protecting Canada from these threats now and into the future. We are pleased to present this annual report, which details CSE’s record of success in combating cybercrime and the emerging threats facing Canada and the world. The report highlights to Canadians what CSE has done over the past year. Reports like these are vital for an open and accountable government and help build public faith in our institutions."
• Special Bulletin on financial activity associated with suspected sanctions evasion (Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada): "Under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (the Act), the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) produces strategic intelligence to provide analytical perspectives on the nature and scope of money laundering, terrorist activity financing, the financing of threats to the security of Canada, and sanctions evasion. This Special Bulletin provides background information relevant to Canada’s sanctions regime and aims to inform reporting entities on the characteristics of completed or attempted financial transactions related to suspected sanctions evasion to support their ability to meet expanded obligations under the Act, effective August 19, 2024."
• RECALL TO REIMAGINE: (Re)Creating the Law Commission of Canada (Law Commission of Canada): "The spring of 2023 marked a fresh start for the Law Commission of Canada, an independent federal agency mandated with the study, review, and development of Canada’s law and legal systems in ways responsive to changing needs across this country. Active from 1997- 2006, the Commission reemerged from a 17-year hibernation (...) In this paper, the Law Commission of Canada demonstrates its commitment to learning from the past by drawing guidance and insights from the structure and work of its earlier version. As suggested by the paper’s title, recreating the Law Commission of Canada relies on imagination grounded in recall. The directives that frame Part I — “recall, remember and retell” — invite us to look back to the Law Commission of 1997-2006. Those of Part II — “rebuild, resituate, reimagine” — capture the mission and promise of today’s Law Commission. The work of recall should provide foundations to inspire and shape reimagined projects and potential."

LawBytes Podcast on State of Digital Law and Policy in Canada

In his most recent LawBytes podcast, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist takes a look at recent federal government digital policy initiatives:

"The Law Bytes podcast focuses intensively on Canadian legislative and digital policy developments and with another Parliamentary year in the books, this week’s episode takes a look back and take stock of where things stand. It features discussion on the implementation of the Internet streaming and news bills (C-11 and C-18) as well as an analysis of the current state of privacy, AI, online harms, and digital tax as found in Bills C-27, C-63, C-69, S-210 and C-27."

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

Some of the documents in the most recent list include:

• How to identify misinformation, disinformation and malinformation (Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity)
• Child Support Practices in Canada: Results from the 2022 National Family Law Surveys (Justice Canada)
• Hate Crimes and Incidents in Canada (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
• Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy:  Halting and Reversing Biodiversity Loss in Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Recent Library of Parliament Documents

The Library of Parliament in Ottawa has recently published a number of legislative summaries of important federal bills as well as other documents.

Among them are:

• Gender-based Analysis Plus in Canada: "The Government of Canada uses GBA Plus [Gender-based Analysis Plus ] to assess the impact of legislation, policies, programs and budgetary measures on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people in an effort to reduce inequalities. The “Plus” in GBA Plus includes a range of identity factors – such as age, disability, education, language, sexual orientation, culture, geography, ethnicity, Indigenous identity, religion, social class and income – that overlap in an intersectional way. The “Plus” is thus aligned with the concept of intersectionality introduced in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, which makes it possible to include multiple intersecting identity factors beyond gender in the analysis of what shapes people’s experiences."
• Scrutiny of Regulations: 50 Years in Review: "Parliament can delegate the authority to make regulations to a person or body specified in an Act. This authority might be given because regulations can be made more quickly than legislation or because Parliament might not have the expertise to legislate technical rules. This authority is usually delegated by way of enabling provisions in legislation that permit ministers, departments, agencies and other authorities to make rules on Parliament’s behalf. The committee’s powers derive from both statutory and sessional orders of reference which make it the committee’s mandate to ensure that this delegated authority is exercised lawfully and appropriately. The committee’s work begins after a regulation has been published in its final form in Part II of the Canada Gazette."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-20: An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments: "Bill C-20 establishes the independent Public Complaints and Review Commission (the Commission) to review and investigate complaints against employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The Commission replaces the existing Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) which reviews complaints against the RCMP. Currently, no oversight authority is responsible for reviewing complaints against the CBSA."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act: "The bill amends the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to accomplish several distinct legislative objectives, including: providing for two additional days of advance polling; moving the next fixed election date; regulating voting at long-term care institutions; updating the process for voting by mail (special ballot); regulating voting at post-secondary educational institutions; amending the requirements relating to political parties’ policies for the protection of personal information; amending or creating new prohibitions pertaining to the electoral process; amending the regime applicable to third-party financing; granting new powers to the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE); and requiring the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to report to Parliament on potential changes to the electoral process."

Justice Canada Research Digest on Victims of Crime

Justice Canada regularly publishes the Victims of crime research digest. 

It is an annual publication featuring short articles.

The 2024 edition is now available:

"Welcome to the 17th issue of the Victims of Crime Research Digest!"

(...)

"The goal of the Digest is to make research about victims of crime and the criminal justice system accessible to a wide audience, using short articles and clear language. In this issue, we are pleased to include extensive reference lists with several of the articles. These will be great tools for readers who are interested in reading more and diving into more detail on the topics discussed."

"The first article, “Victim-Centred Restorative Justice: Program Design and Implementation“ by Patricia Hughes, looks at how the practice of restorative justice has evolved over the past few decades in Canada and worldwide into a more victim-centred approach to better address victims’ needs. The second article, “Accessing Justice for Victims and Survivors of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence,” by Susan McDonald, reports on the development of several Independent Legal Advice and Independent Legal Representation projects funded by the Department of Justice Canada. Through a series of qualitative interviews, McDonald examines how these projects are making a difference for victims and survivors. In the third article, “A Brief Overview of Coercive Control and the Criminal Law”, Lisa Ha summarizes the research on and evaluations of coercive control legislation in other jurisdictions, such as England and Wales, Scotland, and Australia. In the final article, Bianca Stumpf summarizes the findings from the 2023 Child Advocacy Centre/Child and Youth Advocacy Centre Operational Survey."

The publication appeared in the most recent Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List. It is a record of all documents published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government that were catalogued in the previous week.

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

The most recent list had a few documents that attracted my attention:

• Organized crime involvement in vehicle theft in Canada (Criminal Intelligence Service Canada)
• Every voice counts: Anti-racist transformation from the inside out (Canadian Human Rights Commission)
• Evaluation of the British Columbia Exemption to Allow for Personal Possession of Small Amounts of Illegal Drugs (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
• Indigenous Mobility and Canada’s International Borders: Reflecting back and looking forward (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada)

Federal Budget Highlights of Interest to the Library and Information Community

The website Librarianship.ca has published an overview of the 2024 federal budget that was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons.

The post presents highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community in areas such as:

• artificial intelligence
• arts and culture institutions
• cybersecurity
• digital economy
• DEI
• government information
• and more

New Canadian Human Rights Commission Documents on Workplace Harassment

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

The most recent list includes 2 documents from the Canadian Human Rights Commission on the prevention of workplace harassment and violence:

• Preventing and addressing workplace harassment and violence : a guide for federally regulated employers: "The purpose of this guide is to help federally regulated employers develop a human rights-based approach to preventing and addressing workplace harassment and violence, and to meet their obligations under the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) and the Canada Labour Code (Code). The information in this guide is intended to help federally regulated employers understand their responsibilities in creating and maintaining work environments free from  workplace harassment and violence. That said, employers should also consult the CHRA, the Code, the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (Regulations), and any applicable collective agreement to ensure that they are meeting all of their related legal obligations."
• Human rights-based approach to workplace investigations: "Workplace harassment and violence create systemic barriers to equality in employment. They can cause significant and long-lasting psychological, emotional, and physical harm to those involved. They can profoundly impact a person’s dignity and negatively affect their ability to earn a living, to feel safe and secure, and to meaningfully take part in society. Unaddressed, workplace harassment and violence can decrease productivity and morale, and lead to increased turnover, absenteeism, and health care costs. Workplace investigations are an important way an employer can prevent and resolve issues of workplace harassment and violence. This guide will help federally regulated employers learn more about what is required to conduct workplace investigations in a way that respects people’s human rights and promotes a healthy and inclusive workplace."

Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act: Final Report of the Expert Panel

The Canadian statute that legalized the possession of cannabis in 2018 provided for an official review of its implementation and impact by an independent panel.

That panel has published its final report.

From the executive summary:

"Based on the evidence presented to us, we believe that there has been significant progress made on several of the key objectives of the legislation. Notably, these include:

• the establishment of a licensing framework supporting a legal industry that is providing adult consumers with a quality-controlled supply of a variety of cannabis products
• steady progress in shifting adult consumers to the legal cannabis market
• for the most part, adherence to rules on promotion, packaging and labelling, including prohibitions about making claims about health or lifestyle benefits
• a significant reduction (95% between 2017 and 2022) in the number of charges for the possession of cannabis and minimizing the negative impact on some individuals from interactions with the criminal justice system"

"However, it would be a mistake for governments to adopt an attitude of complacency with the current regime or move away from a public health and public safety approach to cannabis. Continuous assessment of what works and what needs to change is necessary in a framework that is a radical shift from an era of prohibition, which limited research and evidence-based policy. Our consultations have uncovered the following areas of concern..."

Those areas of concerns are related to young people's use of cannabis, high-potency products,  Indigenous communities, various costs to industry, the need for better enforcement of regulations, and access to cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Recent Library of Parliament Legislative Summaries

The Library of Parliament in Ottawa has recently published a number of legislative summaries of important federal bills.

Among them are:

• Legislative Summary of Bill C-56: An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act: "Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act (short title: Affordable Housing and Groceries Act), was introduced in the House of Commons on 21 September 2023 by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and received first reading that same day. The bill was passed by both chambers of Parliament after being amended in the House of Commons, and it received Royal Assent on 15 December 2023. Bill C-56 has two parts: Part 1 amends the Excise Tax Act (ETA) to temporarily enhance the Goods and Services Tax (GST) new residential rental property rebate in respect of new purpose-built rental housing. Part 2 amends the Competition Act to promote competition, particularly in the grocery sector. This legislative summary provides a brief description of the key amendments contained in Bill C-56."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-48: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (bail reform): "Bill C-48 makes changes to Canada’s Criminal Code ... provisions concerning judicial interim release, also known as bail. It adds to existing “reverse onus” provisions that shift the prosecutor’s burden of demonstrating why an accused person should be held in detention pending trial onto the accused, who instead must demonstrate to the judge or justice of the peace that there is no reason warranting their detention. These amendments are in response to concerns raised by various stakeholders about crimes being committed by repeat violent offenders, in particular those who use firearms. These reverse onus amendments apply to accused persons who were previously convicted of a violent offence and are subsequently charged with violent offences or offences involving firearms, knives, bear spray or other weapons. The bill also proposes changes to address the risks posed by intimate partner violence, particularly when committed by repeat offenders. It adds considerations a justice must take into account during bail decisions regarding community safety and security concerns."
• Legislative Summary of Bill S-15: An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act: "The bill creates various Criminal Code offences in relation to elephants and great apes, including: possessing, breeding or impregnating elephants or great apes in captivity; possessing an elephant or great ape that is kept in captivity and failing to take reasonable measures to prevent natural breeding; and participating in any activities that involve elephants or great apes kept in captivity being used for entertainment purposes."

Canadian Government Publishes 2024-2025 Departmental Plans

The federal government recently published the departmental plans for 2024-2025.

Every year, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat tables plans in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

They set out departmental/agency priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain expected results.

The plans are part of the federal government's budget estimates process. 

There are many justice-related agencies and departments in the list, including the Supreme Court of Canada.