A Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors on Criminal Harassment

Appendix B: Legislative History of Section 264 of the Criminal Code

Introduction of the Offence of Criminal Harassment into the Criminal Code

House of Commons

First Reading of Bill C-126 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Young Offenders Act)—April 27, 1993

Second Reading—May 6, 1993 (see Hansard, House of Commons Debates, at 19015–19019 for the Minister of Justice's Second Reading Speech)

Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence of the Legislative Committee on Bill C-126—Issue No. 1 (May 11 and 25, 1993); Issue No. 2 (May 26, 1993); Issue No. 3 (May 27, 1993); Issue No. 4 (June 1, 1993); Issue No. 5 (June 2, 1993); and Issue No. 6 (June 2, 1993)

Report of Legislative Committee—June 3, 1993

Third Reading—June 10, 1993

Senate

First Reading—June 14, 1993

Second Reading—June 17, 1993

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Issue No. 50, First Proceedings (June 21, 1993); and Issue No. 51, Second and Final Proceedings (June 22, 1993)

Report of Committee—June 22, 1993

Third Reading—June 23, 1993

Royal Assent received on June 23, 1993, and proclaimed into force on August 1, 1993.

See S.C. 1993, c. C-45.

See also Nicholas Bala, "Criminal Code Amendments to Increase Protection to Children and Women: Bills C-126 and C-128" (1993) 21 C.R. (4th) 365.

1997 Amendments—Bill C-27—murder in the course of criminal harassment

The 1993 criminal harassment provisions were amended by Bill C-27, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (child prostitution, child sex tourism, criminal harassment and female genital mutilation), to make murder committed in the course of criminally harassing the victim a first degree murder offence, irrespective of whether it was planned and deliberate; and to make the commission of an offence of criminal harassment in the face of a protective court order an aggravating factor for sentencing purposes.

House of Commons

First Reading of Bill C-27 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code (child prostitution, child sex tourism, criminal harassment and female genital mutilation))—April 18, 1996

Second Reading—June 10, 1996

Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence of the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs—Issue No. 4 (October 1, 1996); and Issue No. 6 (November 1, 5, 7, 19, 21, 26, 27, and 28, and December 3 and 4, 1996)

Report of Committee (Sessional Paper No. 8510-352-63)—December 5, 1996

Debated at report stage—April 7 and 8, 1997

Third Reading—April 14, 1997

Senate

First Reading—April 15, 1997

Second Reading—April 15 and 16, 1997

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Issue No. 59, First and Final Proceedings (April 17, 1997)

Report of Committee—April 17, 1997

Third Reading—April 21, 1997

Royal Assent received on April 25, 1997, and proclaimed into force on May 26, 1997. See S.C. 1997, c.16.

2001 Amendments—Bill C-15A—doubling of maximum sentence

The criminal harassment provisions were further amended by Bill C-15A, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to amend other Acts, which doubled the maximum sentence for criminal harassment from 5 to 10 years' imprisonment when proceeding on indictment.Footnote 184

House of Commons

First Reading of Bill C-15A, then named Bill C-15, (An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to amend other Acts)—March 14, 2001 (see Hansard, House of Commons Debates, at 1646 for the Minister of Justice's First Reading Speech)

Second Reading—May 3 and 7, and September 20 and 26, 2001 (see Hansard, House of Commons Debates, at 3581 for the Minister of Justice's Second Reading Speech)

Minutes of Proceeding and Evidence of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights—Issues No. 21 and 22 (October 2, 2001); Issue No. 23 (October 3, 2001); and Issue No. 24 (October 4, 2001)

Bill divided into C-15A and C-15B—October 3, 2001

Report of the Committee—October 5, 2001 (Sessional Paper No. 8510-371-74); concurred in October 18, 2001

Third Reading—October 18, 2001 (see Hansard, House of Commons Debates, at 6312 for the Minister of Justice's Third Reading Speech)

Senate

First Reading—October 23, 2001

Second Reading—November 6, 2001

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Issue No. 20, First Proceedings (December 5, 2001); Issue No. 21, Second Proceedings (December 6, 2001); Issue No. 22, Third Proceedings (December 12, 2001); and Issue No. 24, Fourth and Final Proceedings (February 7, 2002)

Report of the Committee—February 19, 2002; debated and adopted February 20, 2002

Third Reading—February 21, and March 5, 12, 13, 14 and 19, 2002

Royal Assent received on June 4, 2002, and proclaimed into force on July 23, 2002. See S.C. 2002, c.13.