By Canadian Press

Justice minister open to changes on Victims Bill of Rights after scathing report

Dec 8, 2022 | 1:01 PM

OTTAWA — The federal justice minister says he is open to updating the Victims Bill of Rights as a parliamentary report calls on the federal government to better support victims of crime.

Justice Minister David Lametti says he has not yet read the House of Commons justice committee’s report, released Wednesday, but he says he is looking forward to working with the recommendations within it.

The report is the latest scathing review of how Canada treats victims of crime, and it calls for laws to be changed so that victims can better access support. 

It says the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, passed by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government in early 2015, has been poorly implemented and doesn’t properly support victims. 

The committee is making 13 recommendations to improve the law, including by establishing minimum standards of support for victims across all provinces and territories and increasing funding for services. 

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Ottawa had already received criticism from advocates and the former Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime for not making meaningful efforts to inform victims of their rights. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022. 

The Canadian Press