On April 3, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the introduction of legislation to create a Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, which will create, at the federal level, clear rights for victims of crime – a first in Canadian history.

Our Government is committed to better protecting victims of crime and giving them a stronger voice in our justice system. During consultations held by the federal Government over the past year, many victims of crime shared stories of their interactions with the criminal justice system. Many participants expressed a desire for victims of crime to be kept better informed and involved at every stage of the justice process, and called for an increased understanding of the needs of victims.

We are proud to be rebalancing the scales of Canadian justice to ensure that innocent victims of crime have clear rights in our system. The new legislation introduced in Parliament aims to ensure that victims are at the heart of our judicial system and that they have the right to:

1. Information
2. Protection
3. Participation
4. Restitution

Our Government wants victims of crime across this country to know that we have listened to their concerns and that we are squarely on their side. Victims will have enforceable rights in Canada’s criminal justice system, will be treated with the respect and fairness that they deserve, and will have a stronger voice.

For more information, go to the OVERVIEW of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.

Download: Victims Bill of Rights

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