Bill C-221 Information Disclosure to Victims
Status: Outside the Order of Precedence — First Reading September 17, 2025. This Bill hasn't passed yet.
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WHO GAINS POWER
- Victims gain the right to receive a plain language explanation of how an offender's release dates were calculated — not just the dates themselves
- Victims can better understand and anticipate the parole and release process, reducing the shock of unexpected release notifications
WHO LOSES POWER
- Correctional Service Canada and the Parole Board lose the ability to disclose release dates without explanation — they must now explain the calculation behind every eligibility and review date shared with victims
WHO GAINS MONEY
- No financial provisions in this Bill
WHO LOSES MONEY
- No financial provisions in this Bill
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
- ⚠️ "Explanation" is not defined — the Bill does not specify how detailed the explanation must be, what format it takes or whether it must be in plain language. The quality of disclosure is left entirely to the discretion of Correctional Service Canada and the Parole Board
- ⚠️ This only applies to victims who have registered to receive information — victims must opt in under the existing framework. Victims who are unaware of that process receive nothing under this Bill or the current Act
- ⚠️ No enforcement mechanism is included — if Correctional Service Canada fails to provide an adequate explanation, there is no remedy or complaint process written into this Bill
- ⚠️ Coordinating amendments are included — the Bill is carefully drafted to work alongside a related 2015 Act, suggesting the legislative landscape around victim disclosure is already complex and layered