Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, April 07, 2017 -

The House of Commons' Standing Committee on the Status of Women invites the public to submit written briefs for the Committee’s study of Bill C-337, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code (sexual assault).

The summary of Bill C-337 notes that the bill seeks to:

1. amend the Judges Act “to restrict eligibility for judicial appointment to individuals who have completed comprehensive sexual assault education”;

2. require the Canadian Judicial Council “to report on continuing education seminars in matters related to sexual assault law”; and

3. amend the Criminal Code “to require a court to provide written reasons in sexual assault decisions.”

The Committee requests that the submission of written briefs focus on the three aforementioned goals of the bill. The deadline for the Committee to receive written briefs from the public, in either official language, is Wednesday, April 19, 2017. Briefs should not exceed two pages in length (approximately 1000 words). Briefs should be sent electronically to the Committee Clerk at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online through the Committee’s website. Please see the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees for further information.

The Committee looks forward to hearing from Canadians on this important topic. The Committee welcomes all Canadians to follow its work on its website, where additional information is provided on its meetings and testimony, its live proceedings on ParlVU, and its membership.