Justice Minister Robert Nicholson and MP Christian Paradis were in Montreal on Monday to meet with victim's groups from the Earl Jones, Mount Real and Norshield debacles and announced that the Tories will be re-introducing a crime bill that was scuttled when the prime minister prorogued government for two months in December.
The new bill, tabled in the House of Commons simultaneously with the announcement, is called "Standing Up for Victims of White-Collar Crime Act" and replaces the previous Bill C-52, which had passed two readings before Parliament was adjourned.
The Shire Victims Group Committee is pleased to see the re-introduction of the proposed legislation. Victims of white-collar crime are piling up in the wake of the recession and are desperate for justice to be served. The legislation is one step in the right direction with much more work to be done in the future to protect all Canadians. Canada currently holds the unenviable third highest rate of fraud in the world with 56% of Canadians falling victim, according to PriceWaterhouse Coopers November 2009 Global Economic Crime Survey.
“The proposed legislation would require judges to consider demanding offenders make restitution to their victims in all fraud cases. It would permit the court to prohibit the offender from taking employment or doing volunteer work involving authority over other people’s money. The court would also be permitted to receive and consider a Community Impact Statement that would describe the losses suffered as a result of a fraud perpetrated against a particular community, such as a neighbourhood, a seniors’ centre or a club.“ (Government of Canada, Department of Justice (May 3, 2010). Government of Canada Introduces Legislation to Stand Up for Victims of White-Collar Crime”. Press Release.)
