2011 Annual Meeting Press Release
Improvements to Canadian Law Discussed at Uniform Law Conference of Canada Annual Meeting
August 11, 2011
Winnipeg, MB – Rules to guide those raising funds to help victims of a tragedy, residency requirements for student and military voters and enhancing restitution for victims of fraud were among the key issues considered by lawyers from across Canada at the 93rd annual meeting of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada.
Approximately 64 delegates and four presenters participated in this year’s meeting, which was held in Winnipeg this week.
“It has been a pleasure to see delegates enjoy the remarkable hospitality offered by our Winnipeg hosts, the incredible weather and the various activities organized with such care while considering and debating a long list of issues touching on criminal, civil, commercial and international private law”, said Michel Breton, Chief Prosecutor of the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales du Québec. “The contribution of our guests and colleagues from the United States and Mexico has also been greatly useful and was appreciated by all.”
Along with discussing informal public appeals and voter residency and identification requirements, the Civil Section of the Conference considered a wide range of matters, including enforcing foreign civil protection orders to help protect victims of violence, modernizing wills and trusts legislation and legislation that protects creditors from fraudulent activities.
The Criminal Section considered a paper on enhanced restitution for fraud victims and approximately 27 resolutions recommending amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada and related statutes. These included, among others, recommendations about mandatory minimum sentences, revocation of a pardon, collection of DNA samples and DNA orders, mandatory bail conditions, and appeals.
The Uniform Law Conference of Canada is a national organization of public and private sector lawyers, judges, law professors and representatives from independent law reform agencies from every jurisdiction in Canada. The Conference works throughout the year and meets annually in two sections. The Civil Section recommends ways to modernize and harmonize federal, provincial and territorial laws. The Criminal Section considers and recommends reforms to Canada’s criminal laws.
Many of the Conference’s uniform acts and recommendations for criminal law reform have been adopted into legislation across Canada.
The Conference also works closely with its American and Mexican counterparts to share information and ideas and develop principled approaches to matters of common interest or concern, such as joint ventures and life planning documents.
This year, the Conference heard from invited guests Michael Houghton, President of the American Uniform Law Commission and Robert A. Stein, the Commission’s Immediate Past President, as well as Dr. Jorge Sánchez Cordero Dávila, President of the Mexican Centre for Uniform Law.
For further information about the Uniform Law Conference of Canada or its ongoing projects, please contact Clark Dalton at talaria@shaw.ca.