S-12An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act
Government bill, introduced in the Senate on April 26, 2023
- Status
- Became law on October 26, 2023 · S.C. 2023, c. 28
- Sponsor
- Marc GoldSenator
- Senator
What it does
Expands sex offender registration rules, changes publication ban procedures, and adds new victim notification duties in criminal cases.
What it does
- Requires more people to register under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, including people convicted of sexual offences against a child and people convicted on separate occasions of two or more sexual offences.
- Sets new rules for how long registration orders last, including life orders for some repeat offenders, and lets some people ask a court to shorten or end an order in limited cases.
- Allows a peace officer to get a warrant to arrest someone who breaks registration rules and bring them to a registration centre to fix the problem.
- Clarifies the notice sex offenders must give before leaving their residence, including advance notice for some absences and a reasonable excuse exception.
- Creates a process to vary or revoke publication bans, and requires courts to ask whether victims want information about the offender’s sentence and send victim contact information to the Correctional Service of Canada.
- Extends and updates registration rules for some people convicted outside Canada or transferred to Canada from abroad, and adds related exemption and appeal processes.
Who it affects
- People convicted of sexual offences
- People found not criminally responsible
- Victims and witnesses
- Justice system participants
- Prosecutors
- Courts
- Police services
- People transferred from abroad
Background
The bill amends the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act.
Where it is
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill S-12, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act
Vote 417,
Passed
314 yeato0 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 417 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 148 0 10 Conservative Yea 111 0 6 Bloc Yea 29 0 3 NDP Yea 21 0 4 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 3 0 0 Total 314 0
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalArif Virani· September 20, 2023
“I am here today to discuss Bill S-12, an act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeRaquel Dancho· September 20, 2023
“Ultimately, we are talking about Bill S-12 which would of course amend the Criminal Code, and notably make changes to the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, among other things. I am just going to give some background about how we came to this point and the history of this in Canada and why it was so important that this registry was brought forward in the first place.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocRhéal Fortin· September 20, 2023
“That being said, I must say that this bill seems not only welcome, but essential. The sex offender registry helps police officers in their work.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPRandall Garrison· September 20, 2023
“Before I start on Bill S-12, as one of the openly gay members of this Parliament, I will make a brief mention of the events outside the House today. I was very pleased to see that, in Ottawa, there was a large turnout of counter-demonstration against the wave of anti-trans and anti-2SLGBTIA hate that is sweeping this country.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.