CANADA TAKES ACTION TO STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY AND THE NATIONAL DNA DATA BANK

June 04, 2009

4 June 2009 – The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, on behalf of the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, announced proposed legislative amendments to strengthen the National Sex Offender Registry and the National DNA Data Bank.
 
“Up to now, police services have not been able to use the National Sex Offender Registry proactively. This issue has been consistently raised by police services as a limitation that is putting communities at risk,” said Minister Day. “The changes that we are proposing will ensure that police services can better access the database to prevent sex-related crimes. Plainly speaking, the changes to the Registry as well as the National DNA Data Bank will ensure that our communities are safer and better protected from sexual predators.”
 
Proposed amendments in the legislation include:

• Automatic inclusion of all convicted sex offenders in the Registry - as opposed to the current scheme where prosecutors must apply and a judge has discretion whether to include a convicted sex offender in the registry.
• Offenders convicted of a designated sexual offence under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act will also now be subject to a mandatory order to provide a DNA sample for the National DNA Databank;
• Police will be empowered to use the Registry to prevent sexual offences, unlike now where they can only use the registry to investigate crimes after they are committed;
• People who are convicted and jailed for sex crimes in another country who return to Canada under the International Transfers of Offenders Act to serve the remainder of their sentence will now be registered in the Sex Offender Registry;
• Canadians convicted abroad of sex crimes and returning to Canada at the end of sentence must report their conviction to police within 7 days of arriving in Canada or face criminal prosecution;
• Police to notify foreign or other Canadian police when high-risk registered sex offenders are travelling to that area; and,
• Amendments to the National Defense Act to ensure that reforms also apply to the military justice system.

In addition, several administrative and operational enhancements are proposed.  For example, registered sex offenders must report the name of their employer, the type of employment as well as any volunteer organizations they are associated with.  They will also be required to provide notice in advance of absences from their residence of seven days or more.
 
Correctional authorities would also be permitted to notify the registration centre of the sex offender’s address where a registered sex offender is serving the custodial portion of a sentence temporarily in the community for a period of 7 days or more.
 
“The National Sex Offender Registry is a positive step forward for protecting our most vulnerable citizens from sex offenders,” said Randy Kamp, MP for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission. “We are proud to bring these changes forward as part of our ongoing commitment to cracking down on crime.”
 
“We will continue to work with the police and our provincial and territorial partners on this important issue as they are partners in the administration and enforcement of the Registry,” added Minister Day.
 
The Sex Offender Information Registration Act that established a national sex offender database was proclaimed as law and came into force on December 15, 2004. The database is administered by the RCMP.
 
For more information, please refer to the backgrounder, “Strengthening the National Sex Offender Registry and the National DNA Data Bank”