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Federal Accountability Act (S.C. 2006, c. 9)

Assented to 2006-12-12

Transitional Provisions

Marginal note:Definition of “other Act”

 In sections 123 to 127 of this Act, “other Act” means the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, as enacted by section 121 of this Act.

Marginal note:Acting Director
  •  (1) The person who holds the position of Assistant Deputy Attorney General (Criminal Law) in the Department of Justice immediately before the day on which this section comes into force is authorized to act as the Director of Public Prosecutions under the other Act until the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions under subsection 3(1) of the other Act.

  • Marginal note:Acting Deputy Director

    (2) That person may authorize two members of at least 10 years’ standing at the bar of any province to act as Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions under the other Act until the appointment of a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions under subsection 6(1) of the other Act.

  • Marginal note:Incapacity or death

    (3) In the event of the incapacity or death of the person authorized to act as the Director of Public Prosecutions under subsection (1), the Attorney General of Canada shall designate one of the persons authorized to act as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions under subsection (2) to act as Director of Public Prosecutions in the interim.

Marginal note:Transfer of employees
  •  (1) The coming into force of the other Act shall not be construed as affecting the status of an employee who occupied, immediately before the day on which the other Act comes into force, a position in the Department of Justice in the administrative unit known as the Federal Prosecution Service, except that the employee from that day occupies that position in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  • Marginal note:Transfer of other staff

    (2) The Governor in Council may, by order made on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, if the Governor in Council is of the opinion that an employee or class of employees in the Department of Justice is carrying out powers, duties or functions that are in whole or in part in support of or related to the powers, duties and functions of employees referred to in subsection (1) and that it is in the best interests of the core public administration to do so, declare that the employee or class of employees shall, on the day on which the order comes into force, occupy their positions in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  • Marginal note:Definition of “employee”

    (3) In this section, “employee” has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Public Service Employment Act.

Marginal note:Non-employed federal prosecutors

 Any barrister or, in the Province of Quebec, any advocate whose services were retained, immediately before the day on which the other Act comes into force, to act as a prosecutor for the Crown in connection with any matter is deemed, on that day, to have had his or her services retained under subsection 7(2) of the other Act to act in connection with that matter.

Marginal note:Transfer of appropriations

 Any amount that is appropriated, for the fiscal year in which the other Act comes into force, by an appropriation Act based on the Estimates for that year for defraying the charges and expenses of the Department of Justice in relation to duties and functions carried out by the administrative unit known as the Federal Prosecution Service and that, on the day on which the other Act comes into force, is unexpended, is deemed to be an amount appropriated for defraying the charges and expenses of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Marginal note:Continuation of prosecutions
  •  (1) Any prosecution to which the Attorney General of Canada is a party and that is ongoing on the day on which the other Act comes into force is continued by the Director of Public Prosecutions without further formality.

  • Definition of “prosecution”

    (2) In subsection (1), “prosecution” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the other Act.

Marginal note:Election-related prosecutions

 Any prosecution for an offence under the Canada Elections Act that is pending immediately before the day on which sections 121 and 130 to 136 of this Act come into force may continue to be conducted by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, as well as any appeal or other proceeding related to such a prosecution as if those sections had not come into force.

Consequential Amendments

R.S., c. A-1Access to Information Act

 Schedule I to the Access to Information Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order under the heading “Other Government Institutions”:

  • Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

    Bureau du directeur des poursuites pénales

2000, c. 9Canada Elections Act

Marginal note:2003, c. 19, s. 62

 Section 511 of the Canada Elections Act is replaced by the following:

Marginal note:Director of Public Prosecutions may prosecute
  • 511. (1) If the Commissioner believes on reasonable grounds that an offence under this Act has been committed, the Commissioner may refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions who shall decide whether to initiate a prosecution.

  • Marginal note:Information

    (2) If the Director decides to initiate a prosecution, the Director shall request the Commissioner to cause an information in writing and under oath or solemn declaration to be laid before a justice, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code.

  • Marginal note:Search and seizure

    (3) For the purposes of section 487 of the Criminal Code, any person charged by the Commissioner with duties relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act is deemed to be a public officer.

  •  (1) Subsection 512(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

    Marginal note:Director’s consent required
    • 512. (1) No prosecution for an offence under this Act may be instituted by a person other than the Director of Public Prosecutions without the Director’s prior written consent.

  • (2) Subsection 512(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:

    • Marginal note:Proof of consent

      (3) Every document purporting to be the Director’s consent under subsection (1) is deemed to be that consent unless it is called into question by the Director or by someone acting for the Director or for Her Majesty.

 Section 513 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Marginal note:Commissioner may intervene

513. The Commissioner, where he or she considers it to be in the public interest, may take any measures, including incurring any expenses, in relation to an inquiry, injunction or compliance agreement under this Act.

  •  (1) Subsection 517(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

    Marginal note:Compliance agreements
    • 517. (1) Subject to subsection (7), if the Commissioner believes on reasonable grounds that a person has committed, is about to commit or is likely to commit an act or omission that could constitute an offence under this Act, the Commissioner may enter into a compliance agreement, aimed at ensuring compliance with this Act, with that person (in this section and sections 518 to 521 called the “contracting party”).

  • Marginal note:2001, c. 21, s. 25(E)

    (2) Subsections 517(6) to (8) of the Act are replaced by the following:

    • Marginal note:Effect of compliance agreement — no referral

      (6) If a matter has not yet been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions when a compliance agreement is entered into, no such referral may be made for an act or omission that led to the agreement unless there is non-compliance with it.

    • Marginal note:Matter that has been referred

      (7) If a matter has already been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, whether or not a prosecution has been initiated, the Director may — if, after consultation with the Commissioner, the Director considers that a compliance agreement would better serve the public interest — remit the matter back to the Commissioner so that it may be so dealt with.

    • Marginal note:Effect of compliance agreement

      (8) When a compliance agreement is entered into, any prosecution of the contracting party for an act or omission that led to it is suspended and, unless there is non-compliance with it, the Director of Public Prosecutions may not institute such a prosecution.

    • Marginal note:Renegotiation

      (9) The Commissioner and the contracting party may renegotiate the terms of the compliance agreement at the request of the Commissioner or contracting party at any time before it is fully executed.

    • Marginal note:Copy to be provided

      (10) The Commissioner shall provide the contracting party with a copy of a compliance agreement, without delay after it is entered into or renegotiated under subsection (9). If the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner shall also provide a copy of the compliance agreement to the Director.

 Sections 518 and 519 of the Act are replaced by the following:

Marginal note:If agreement complied with
  • 518. (1) If the Commissioner is of the opinion that the compliance agreement has been complied with, the Commissioner shall cause a notice to that effect to be served on the contracting party. If the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner shall also provide a copy of the notice to the Director.

  • Marginal note:Effect of notice

    (2) Service of the notice terminates any prosecution of the contracting party that is based on the act or omission in question and prevents the Commissioner from referring the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director from instituting such a prosecution.

Marginal note:If agreement not complied with

519. If the Commissioner is of the opinion that a contracting party has not complied with a compliance agreement, the Commissioner shall cause a notice of default to be served on the contracting party, informing him or her that, as the case may be, the Commissioner may refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions for any action the Director considers appropriate or, if a prosecution was suspended by virtue of subsection 517(8), it may be resumed. If the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner shall also provide a copy of the notice to the Director.

 

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