Bill C-219 Magnitsky Law Act

Short Title: Sergei Magnitsky International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Act

Bill Type: Private Member’s Bill

Status: Outside the Order of Precedence — First Reading September 16, 2025. This Bill hasn't passed yet.

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WHO GAINS POWER

The Minister of Foreign Affairs must publish an annual human rights report — including a named list of prisoners of conscience Canada is actively working to free. Think the Two Michaels — Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, detained by China for nearly 1,000 days in what was widely called hostage diplomacy. This Bill would make Canada's efforts on their behalf a matter of public record
The RCMP and FINTRAC must proactively flag foreign nationals to the Minister when they have grounds to believe sanctions are warranted — including tips from the public
Parliamentary committees gain the right to recommend sanctions and receive a mandatory written response from the Minister — posted publicly within the required timeline
The CRTC gains mandatory authority to revoke broadcasting licences from undertakings influenced by sanctioned foreign nationals or genocide-committing states — immediately and without discretion
Sanctions now explicitly cover transnational repression — foreign states targeting dissidents, journalists and diaspora communities on Canadian soil
Immediate family members of sanctioned individuals are barred from receiving Canadian visas unless they can prove they received no material benefit

WHO LOSES POWER

The Minister of Foreign Affairs loses the ability to ignore parliamentary committee recommendations on sanctions — a written response is now mandatory
Broadcasting undertakings influenced by sanctioned states or genocide-recognized entities lose their licences immediately — no discretion for the CRTC
Foreign states and nationals engaged in transnational repression lose the ability to operate freely in Canada without triggering sanctions
Sanctioned individuals lose their seized assets faster — forfeiture must be applied for within 12 months and disposed of within 30 days

WHO GAINS MONEY

Victims of human rights violations and corruption — the preamble commits Canada to implementing compensation mechanisms, though no specific fund is created in the Bill
The renamed Sergei Magnitsky Global Sanctions Act signals alignment with ally sanctions regimes — potentially unlocking coordinated asset recovery

WHO LOSES MONEY

Sanctioned foreign nationals and states — seized assets must be forfeited and disposed of on a strict timeline
Broadcasting undertakings linked to sanctioned entities — licence revocation ends their Canadian revenue stream
Violators of the Sergei Magnitsky Global Sanctions Act face fines up to $100,000 and up to 3 years imprisonment — a significant increase from current penalties

THE CATCH

⚠️ This Bill is unlikely to pass — it is an opposition Private Member's Bill introduced by a Conservative MP in a Liberal-majority Parliament
⚠️ "Vulnerable to being significantly influenced" is not defined — the CRTC must determine what level of foreign influence triggers mandatory licence revocation, with no clear threshold written into the Bill
⚠️ The prisoner of conscience list can be edited by the Minister — if a family member or the Minister decides disclosure risks personal safety or human rights progress, names can be withheld. The list may not be complete
⚠️ No compensation fund is created — the preamble commits to compensating victims but the Bill contains no mechanism, funding or timeline for doing so
⚠️ Transnational repression is now a sanctions trigger — but enforcement depends on the RCMP and FINTRAC proactively flagging cases. No independent oversight of whether they do so is included
⚠️ The Broadcasting Act amendment applies immediately upon licence review — existing broadcasters linked to sanctioned states face immediate revocation with no transition period or appeal mechanism written into the Bill

Source: Bill C-219 — House of Commons of Canada

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