An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons)
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) (commonly known as Bill C-310) is a statute passed by the Canadian Parliament in 2012.[1] It amended the Criminal Code to enable the Government of Canada to prosecute Canadians for trafficking in persons while outside of Canada.[2]
| An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | SC 2012, c 15 |
| Territorial extent | Canada |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Royal assent | June 28, 2012 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill citation | Bill C-310 |
| Introduced by | Joy Smith |
| First reading | October 3, 2011 (House of Commons) |
| Second reading | December 12, 2011 (House of Commons) |
| Third reading | April 27, 2012 (House of Commons) |
| First reading | May 1, 2012 (Senate) |
| Second reading | May 15, 2012 (Senate) |
| Third reading | June 22, 2012 (Senate) |
| Summary | |
| Enables the Government of Canada to prosecute Canadians for trafficking in persons while outside of Canada | |
| Keywords | |
| Human trafficking | |
| Status: In force | |
Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan—St. Paul in Manitoba, introduced Bill C-310 as a private member's bill in the fall of 2011. Smith hoped that the bill would help combat human trafficking globally in a way that could not be accomplished by simply addressing issues relating to border control and immigration to Canada.[3] The first reading of the bill took place on October 3 of that year during the 41st Canadian Parliament.[4] Although private member's bills rarely are enacted, Bill C-310 was passed by Parliament and received royal assent on June 28, 2012.
During debates in the House of Commons on the bill, it received broad support across party lines.[5]
On April 27, 2012, the bill was sent to the Senate with unanimous support from MPs.[4][6] That June, UNICEF Canada submitted a brief to the Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs relating to Bill C-310.[7] On June 22, 2012, the bill passed third reading in the Senate, and then royal assent on June 28, 2012.[4][8]
A year later, on May 6, 2013, Naomi Krueger of The Salvation Army appeared as a witness at before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Krueger was the manager of Deborah's Gate, a safe house for human trafficking victims run by the Salvation Army in Vancouver, British Columbia. She testified to the Committee that Bill C-310 "created opportunities to better support ... the victims whom we serve on a day-to-day basis at Deborah's Gate."[9]
References
- "Private Member's Bill - C-310, Royal Assent (41-1)". parl.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- "Human Trafficking - Bill C-310 - Supportive Organizations". Joy Smith. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- "Canada: Bill C-310 to Strengthen Fight against Human Trafficking". SOS Children's Villages – Canada. March 7, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- "C-310 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons)". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- "Bill C-310 (Historical)". openparliament.ca. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- Daniel Proussalidis (April 27, 2012). "Bill would let cops nab human traffickers abroad". The London Free Press. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- "Bill C-310: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons)" (PDF). UNICEF Canada. June 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- "Bill C-310: Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Trafficking in Persons)". Online Party of Canada. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- "Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights". Parliament of Canada. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.