Canadian Federal Bill C-3 (Passed) Dec 17, 2021

An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code

Government House Bill Sponsored by Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan

NOTE: Second and Third Readings in the Senate took place on the same day.

SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to, among other things,

(a) create an offence of intimidating a person in order to impede them from obtaining health services, intimidating a health professional in order to impede them in the performance of their duties or intimidating a person who assists a health professional in order to impede the person in providing that assistance;

(b) create an offence of obstructing or interfering with a person’s lawful access to a place at which health services are provided, subject to a defence of attending at the place for the purpose only of obtaining or communicating information; and

(c) add the commission of an offence against a person who was providing health services and the commission of an offence that had the effect of impeding another person from obtaining health services as aggravating sentencing factors for any offence.

It also amends the Canada Labour Code to, among other things,

(a) extend the period during which an employee may take a leave of absence from employment in the event of the death of a child and provide for the entitlement of an employee to a leave of absence in the event of the loss of an unborn child;

(b) repeal the personal leave that an employee may take to treat their illness or injury;

(c) provide that an employee may earn and take up to 10 days of medical leave of absence with pay in a calendar year; and

(d) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations to modify, in certain circumstances, the provisions respecting medical leave of absence with pay.