January 30, 2015

Collateral Consequences and Bill C-24

The passage of Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, has introduced several amendments to the Citizenship Act that allow for the revocation of citizenship from naturalized and Canadian born citizens on the basis of conviction for a number of offences under the Criminal Code, the National Defense Act, and the Security of Information Act. The revocation process is administrative, being overseen by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and may be described as a collateral consequence of conviction. As stated in our publication, Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Inadmissibility Law:

“Collateral consequences” are imposed outside of the traditional sentencing framework.  In addition, these sanctions are not imposed as punishments for the offence, but rather are a consequence of conviction.   In Canada, there are a number of circumstances where previous convictions may result in future consequences for an individual. Sanctions may be imposed, for example, in the context of applying for Canadian immigration, in educational and employment ventures, when becoming a tenant, when travelling outside of Canada, and/or when applying for insurance..

For further information on collateral consequences of sentencing pick up your copy of Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Inadmissibility Law here.

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