Bill S-205 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-205 amends the Criminal Code to clarify that suicide bombings are forms of terrorist activity.
Bill S-205 proposes to amend the Criminal Code by adding a clarification that suicide bombings are included within the definition of "terrorist activity." Specifically, the bill adds a new subsection (1.2) to section 83.01 of the Criminal Code to state that suicide bombings come within paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of "terrorist activity" as set out in subsection (1) of that section. This is intended to provide legal clarity that suicide bombings are considered terrorist activities under Canadian law.
- Adds a new subsection (1.2) to section 83.01 of the Criminal Code
- States that suicide bombings fall within paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of 'terrorist activity' in subsection (1) of section 83.01
- Provides explicit clarification that suicide bombings constitute terrorist activity under federal law
- Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors applying the Criminal Code
- Courts interpreting and applying the definition of terrorist activity
- Individuals charged with or involved in terrorist activities
- Security agencies monitoring and investigating potential terrorist acts
- The clarification establishes that suicide bombings are understood to be terrorist activities within the meaning of the Criminal Code
- First Reading: November 20, 2008
- The bill text does not specify when the amendment would come into force if passed
- The bill does not itself create new penalties; it clarifies the application of existing Criminal Code provisions relating to terrorist activity, which carry serious criminal penalties under existing law
- The bill text does not define what constitutes a suicide bombing
- The bill does not specify what paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of 'terrorist activity' contain, as those are found in the existing Criminal Code
- The bill does not indicate whether this clarification applies retroactively to prior acts or only to future conduct
- It is unclear whether this amendment would affect existing convictions or sentencing
Adds a new subsection (1.2) to clarify that suicide bombings come within the definition of 'terrorist activity' in subsection (1), specifically within paragraphs (a) and (b) of that definition
Source: Section 1 of Bill S-205
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
Bill S-205, concerning suicide bombings, completed its first reading in the Senate on November 20, 2008.
This record indicates that Bill S-205, an Act to amend the Criminal Code concerning suicide bombings, completed its first reading in the Senate on November 20, 2008. This is a procedural step where the bill is formally introduced. The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The artifact also notes similar bills (S-210, S-206, S-43) that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
On November 20, 2008, Bill S-205, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings), was introduced and received first reading in the Senate as part of a procedural step.
On November 20, 2008, the Senate held its first reading for Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings). The sitting included a silent tribute to fallen soldiers, welcoming remarks, and several notices of motions on various topics. The introduction and first reading of Bill S-205 was a procedural step, and no debate on the bill's content occurred during this stage. Other bills were also introduced and received first reading.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced