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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 281 explained in plain English

Christopher's Law (Sex Offender Registry) Amendment Act, 2021

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
42nd Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill 281
Full title
Christopher's Law (Sex Offender Registry) Amendment Act, 2021
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Ordered referred to Standing Committee (Standing Committee on Justice Policy)
Last updated
May 10, 2021
Sponsor

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Ordered referred to Standing Committee (Standing Committee on Justice Policy)
Latest Activity
May 10, 2021
Sponsor
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 281 amends Christopher's Law to require the Ministry to make sex offender registry information publicly accessible under regulations.

What It Means

This bill proposes changes to Christopher's Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000. It aims to allow the public to access information recorded in the sex offender registry. The Ministry would be required to make this information available according to regulations, and any disclosure would be considered compliant with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The bill also amends Section 14 of the existing Act to allow for regulations governing how the public can access this information, including any limitations or restrictions.

What This Bill Does
  • Requires the Ministry to make information from the sex offender registry available to the public.
  • States that disclosing personal information from the registry under this law is considered compliant with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
  • Amends Section 14 of Christopher's Law to allow for regulations on public access to the sex offender registry, including how to access it and any limitations.
  • Establishes that the Act comes into force on a date proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
Who Is Affected
  • The Ministry (Ontario)
  • The public
  • Individuals listed on the sex offender registry
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • The Ministry has an obligation to make sex offender registry information available to the public.
  • Disclosures of personal information under this law are deemed compliant with privacy legislation.
Important Dates
  • The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The specific details regarding how the public can access the information, and any limitations or restrictions on this disclosure, will be determined by future regulations.
  • The exact date the Act comes into force is not yet specified and will be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Christopher's Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000
amended

Adds a new section (2.1) requiring the Ministry to make information in the sex offender registry available to the public, and amends Section 14 to allow for regulations regarding public access.

Source: Section 1 and Section 2

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
affected

Any disclosure of personal information from the sex offender registry made under the proposed new section 2.1 of Christopher's Law is deemed to be in compliance with clause 42 (1) (e) of this Act.

Source: Section 2.1 (2)

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 text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Apr 22, 2021
Step 2
Second reading
May 10, 2021
Step 3
Committee review
May 10, 2021
Step 4
Third reading
Not reached yet
Step 5
Royal assent
Not reached yet

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Dave Smith
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Peterborough—Kawartha
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

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