Bill S-207 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd 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
This bill would amend the Criminal Code to permit jurors and their support personnel to disclose information about jury proceedings to health care professionals for treatment of health issues related to their service.
Bill S-207 proposes to amend the Criminal Code. The amendment would allow jurors and support personnel for jurors with disabilities to share information about jury proceedings with health care professionals after a trial. This would be permitted for the purpose of receiving medical, psychiatric, therapy, or counselling related to health issues that arose from their service as a juror or support person. The bill also clarifies that the prohibition on disclosing jury information does not apply to disclosures made for specific investigations or court evidence related to juror offences.
- Amends Section 649 of the Criminal Code.
- Creates exceptions to the prohibition on disclosing information about jury proceedings.
- Allows jurors and support persons for jurors with disabilities to disclose information to health care professionals for medical, psychiatric, therapy, or counselling purposes.
- Specifies that health care professionals must be entitled to practice under provincial law.
- Retains existing exceptions for disclosures related to investigations of juror offences and for giving evidence in related criminal proceedings.
- Jurors
- Persons providing support services to jurors with disabilities
- Health care professionals in Canada
- Law enforcement agencies involved in investigating juror offences
- The justice system
- Jurors and support personnel will have the right to disclose information to health care professionals for treatment related to their service.
- Health care professionals receiving such information must be licensed in a province.
- The Act will come into force 90 days after receiving Royal Assent.
- Disclosure of jury information outside the permitted exceptions remains an offence punishable on summary conviction.
- The bill does not specify what constitutes a 'health issue arising out of or related to the person’s service at the trial'.
- The bill does not define 'health care professional' beyond requiring them to be entitled to practice under provincial law.
Section 649, which prohibits disclosure of jury proceedings, will be modified to allow disclosures to health care professionals for specific therapeutic purposes related to jury service, and to clarify existing exceptions.
Source: Section 1
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-207, concerning juror information disclosure, completed its first reading in the Senate on December 12, 2019, and is now at the second reading stage.
This artifact describes the first reading stage of Bill S-207 in the Senate, which occurred on Thursday, December 12, 2019. The bill's purpose is to amend the Criminal Code concerning the disclosure of information by jurors. The bill has since moved to second reading in the Senate.
The Senate completed the first reading of Bill S-207, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors), and engaged in tributes, tabling of reports, and discussion of other matters before adjourning for the holidays.
On December 12, 2019, the Senate held its first reading of Bill S-207, an Act to amend the Criminal Code concerning the disclosure of information by jurors. The Senate chamber also heard tributes to Senator Joseph A. Day, who was retiring, and remarks on other matters including World Soil Day, the commemoration of the École Polytechnique de Montréal tragedy, and the passing of William (Bill) McKnight. Various reports were tabled, and notices of motions and inquiries were presented. The Senate concluded its business for the day with an adjournment motion and expressions of good wishes for the holiday season. The bill itself, S-207, was introduced and moved to the Orders of the Day for second reading at a later date. Other bills were also discussed, including S-202 regarding conversion therapy and S-203 concerning national historic sites. Significant time was also spent on Question Period, addressing various government policies and issues.
Bill S-207, concerning the disclosure of information by jurors, was at the second reading stage in the Senate, with debates held on February 6 and 25, 2020, but the stage was not yet completed.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-207, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors), at the second reading stage in the Senate. The process shows that the bill had its first reading on December 12, 2019, and debate for second reading occurred on February 6, 2020, and February 25, 2020. The stage is marked as not completed, meaning the Senate has not yet voted on this stage. The artifact also notes a similar bill, C-417, from a previous Parliament.
On February 6, 2020, the Senate held a sitting that included tributes, discussions on various social and economic topics, question period on government actions, and adjourned debates on multiple bills, including Bill S-207 concerning juror disclosure of information.
This artifact summarizes a Senate sitting that occurred on February 6, 2020. The sitting included tributes to former Senator Nicole Eaton, discussions on various topics such as Black History Month, Food Freedom Day, Guaranteed Livable Income, and the tragic death of Marylène Levesque. Routine proceedings involved tabling reports and introducing a bill. Question Period addressed issues including the carbon tax for farmers, the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, interprovincial trade, Statistics Canada, the North Warning System, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the federal fiscal deficit. The Orders of the Day featured continued debate on committee reports and various motions, as well as adjourned debates on second reading for several bills, including Bill S-207, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors).
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-207, senators discussed amending the Criminal Code to allow jurors to speak with mental health professionals about their experiences, aiming to address the psychological toll of jury duty.
This document records the Senate's debate at second reading on Bill S-207, an Act to amend the Criminal Code concerning the disclosure of information by jurors. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, explained that the bill aims to allow jurors to discuss their deliberations with mental health professionals after a trial concludes. This is intended to address the mental health challenges, such as post-traumatic stress, that some jurors experience due to the disturbing nature of the evidence they encounter. The bill proposes an exemption to the current secrecy rule in the Criminal Code. Senator Lucie Moncion, who is the critic for the bill, shared personal testimony and highlighted that legal experts, mental health professionals, and members of the House of Commons Justice Committee have supported this measure. Senator Vernon White also spoke in favour, emphasizing that the bill would provide necessary support for jurors dealing with traumatic experiences. The debate on Bill S-207 was adjourned, meaning it will continue at a later date.
On February 25, 2020, the Senate held its sitting, with proceedings including statements on various topics, routine proceedings, question period on current affairs, and the continuation of second reading debates on multiple bills and inquiries, including Bill S-207 concerning juror disclosure.
On February 25, 2020, the Senate sat, with the Speaker opening the proceedings by marking the 100th anniversary of parliamentary security services. Senators then made statements on various topics, including curling successes, digital privacy, freedom of expression, and international issues. Routine proceedings saw several reports tabled and notices of motions given on diverse matters such as committee referrals, Senate procedures, and inquiries. The Question Period addressed issues like pipelines, Indigenous governance, blockade protests, foreign influence in elections, and the coronavirus. The Senate then moved to Orders of the Day, which included debates on committee reports, adjournment motions, and the continuation of second reading debates for several bills: Bill S-207 (disclosure of information by jurors), Bill S-208 (independence of the judiciary), Bill S-211 (Modern Slavery Act), and Bill S-209 (Department for Women and Gender Equality Act). Additionally, debates continued on inquiries regarding carbon emissions and the need for guaranteed livable income initiatives. The sitting concluded with the adjournment of the debate on the guaranteed livable income inquiry.
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.
Bill S-207, concerning the disclosure of information by jurors, has progressed to the Report stage in the House of Commons, although this stage has not yet been reached, while the bill is currently undergoing second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-207 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has reached the Report stage in the House of Commons but that this stage has not yet occurred. The bill's current status overall is at second reading in the Senate. The artifact also lists past procedural steps, including First Reading and Second Reading in the Senate, and notes dates of major speeches during the Senate's second reading debate. It also references a similar bill from a previous Parliament.
Bill S-207 has not yet reached the House of Commons Third Reading stage and is currently at Second Reading in the Senate, with records of Senate debates available.
This artifact indicates that Bill S-207 has not yet reached the Third Reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill is currently at the Second Reading stage in the Senate. The record shows the dates of its first and second readings in the Senate, and lists major speeches given during the second reading debate.
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