Victims Bill of Rights On-line Consultations Summary Report

In the most recent Weekly Checklist of federal government publications,  there is a link to a Justice Canada report on recent consultations on a proposed Victims Bill of Rights:

"On February 4, 2013, the Minister of Justice announced the Government of Canada’s intention to enhance the rights of victims by bringing forward legislation to create a Victims Bill of Rights (VBR). In order to inform the development of this legislation, the Government launched a public on-line consultation on May 1st, 2013, to seek the views of various stakeholders within the criminal justice system, members of the civil society and the general public. The on-line consultation closed on September 27th, 2013 (...)"

"A total of 319 submissions from a variety of stakeholders, including victims of crime, victim advocacy organizations, provincial and territorial officials or organizations, criminal justice associations, and criminal justice system stakeholders were received (...)"

"There are several considerations to keep in mind when reviewing the summary of submissions. First, victim legislation, victim services, and the role of victims in the criminal justice system are grounded in a complex legal system and constitutional framework that many may not fully understand or may have misconceptions about; these misconceptions may have guided some responses. Secondly, many respondents expressed the firm view that the system does not need to be altered, advocating instead for the status quo. Finally, victimization is an inherently emotional and often traumatic experience, and many of the submissions shared by victims of crime reflected the impact of the experience on their personal lives."

A Victims Bill of Rights Act was introduced in the House of Commons earlier this year. It is possible to follow the progress of the bill, read MPs' interventions in the parliamentary debates, and find background material in the LEGISinfo website.

The Weekly Checklist includes a listing of titles made available by the Parliament of Canada, federal departments, and Statistics Canada to the Depository Services Program for distribution to a network of Depository Libraries in Canada and abroad.