State Immunity Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. S-18)

Marginal note:Death and property damage

6. A foreign state is not immune from the jurisdiction of a court in any proceedings that relate to

• (a) any death or personal or bodily injury, or

• (b) any damage to or loss of property

that occurs in Canada.

Marginal note:Support of terrorism

• 6.1 (1) A foreign state that is set out on the list referred to in subsection (2) is not immune from the jurisdiction of a court in proceedings against it for its support of terrorism on or after January 1, 1985.

• Marginal note:List of foreign states

  (2) The Governor in Council may, by order, establish a list on which the Governor in Council may, at any time, set out the name of a foreign state if, on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs made after consulting with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Governor in Council is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the foreign state supported or supports terrorism.

• Marginal note:Establishment of list

  (3) The list must be established no later than six months after the day on which this section comes into force.

• Marginal note:Application to be removed from list

  (4) On application in writing by a foreign state, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must, after consulting with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, decide whether there are reasonable grounds to recommend to the Governor in Council that the applicant no longer be set out on the list.

• Marginal note:Notice of decision to applicant

  (5) The Minister of Foreign Affairs must without delay give notice to the applicant of that Minister’s decision respecting the application.

• Marginal note:New application

  (6) A foreign state set out on the list may not make another application under subsection (4), unless there has been a material change in its circumstances since the foreign state made its last application or the Minister of Foreign Affairs has completed the review under subsection (7).

• Marginal note:Review of list

  (7) Two years after the establishment of the list, and every two years after that, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must

  • (a) review the list in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to determine whether there are still reasonable grounds, as set out in subsection (2), for a foreign state to be set out on the list and make a recommendation to the Governor in Council as to whether the foreign state should remain set out on the list; and

  • (b) review the list in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to determine whether there are reasonable grounds, as set out in subsection (2), for a foreign state that is not set out on the list to be set out on the list and make a recommendation to the Governor in Council as to whether the foreign state should be set out on the list.

• Marginal note:Effect of review

  (8) The review does not affect the validity of the list.

• Marginal note:Completion of review

  (9) The Minister of Foreign Affairs must complete the review as soon as feasible, but in any case within 120 days, after its commencement. After completing the review, that Minister must without delay cause a notice to be published in the Canada Gazette that it has been completed.

• Marginal note:Effect of removal from list on proceedings

  (10) If proceedings for support of terrorism are commenced against a foreign state that is set out on the list, the subsequent removal of the foreign state from the list does not have the effect of restoring the state’s immunity from the jurisdiction of a court in respect of those proceedings or any related appeal or enforcement proceedings.

• Marginal note:Terrorist activity

  (11) Where a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that a foreign state, set out on the list in subsection (2), has supported terrorism, that foreign state is also not immune from the jurisdiction of a court in proceedings against it that relate to terrorist activity by the state.