Criminal Code

Marginal note:Sabotage

• 52 (1) Every person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 10 years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction who does a prohibited act with the intent to endanger

  • (a) the safety, security or defence of Canada, or

  • (b) the safety or security of the naval, army or air forces of any state other than Canada that are lawfully present in Canada.

• Definition of prohibited act

  (2) In this section, prohibited act means an act or omission that

  • (a) impairs the efficiency or impedes the working of any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, machinery, apparatus or other thing; or

  • (b) causes property, by whomever it may be owned, to be lost, damaged or destroyed.

• Marginal note:Saving

  (3) No person does a prohibited act within the meaning of this section by reason only that

  • (a) he stops work as a result of the failure of his employer and himself to agree on any matter relating to his employment;

  • (b) he stops work as a result of the failure of his employer and a bargaining agent acting on his behalf to agree on any matter relating to his employment; or

  • (c) he stops work as a result of his taking part in a combination of workmen or employees for their own reasonable protection as workmen or employees.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (4) No person does a prohibited act within the meaning of this section by reason only that he attends at or near or approaches a dwelling-house or place for the purpose only of obtaining or communicating information.

• Marginal note:For greater certainty

  (5) For greater certainty, no person commits an offence under subsection (1) if they do a prohibited act while participating in advocacy, protest or dissent but they do not intend to cause any of the harms referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) and (b).