2017 Annual Meeting Press Release
ULCC Concludes its 99th Annual Meeting
Regina, SK – The Uniform Law Conference of Canada (ULCC), a government-supported organization that works to modernize and harmonize federal, provincial and territorial laws and considers proposals to reform criminal laws, held its 99th Annual Meeting in Regina, Saskatchewan from August 13 to 17, 2017. The ULCC is comprised of a Civil Section and a Criminal Section.
This week, the ULCC’s Civil Section adopted in principle a new Uniform Vital Statistics Act, which will enable Canadian Vital Statistics Registries to more readily adapt to modern legal and societal needs, including assisted reproductive technologies, family structures, same-sex marriage and sex re-assignment.
The Civil Section also heard reports on legislation aimed at modernizing commercial tenancies, new rules for electronic evidence for civil and administrative law proceedings, effective inter-jurisdictional enforcement of tax judgments and the renewal of the Uniform Franchises Act.
The ULCC’s Criminal Law Section debated and voted on proposals to amend the Criminal Code and related statutes. This week, it considered 27 resolutions on proposals relating to issues such as jury recommendations regarding parole ineligibility, the offence of bestiality and medical and psychological assessments for purposes of sentencing.
Joint sessions of the Civil and Criminal Sections considered reports on criminal records checks, including the issue of disclosure to third parties of “non-conviction” information in police, and possible mechanisms for individuals to review and correct information contained in these databases, as well as a report on costs awards under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and civil charge damages against the Crown arising from criminal prosecutions.
Delegates to the ULCC are legal experts appointed by the 14 member governments (federal, 10 provincial, three territorial). They include lawyers and notaries from the governments and the private bar, members of the judiciary, law professors, the Canadian Bar Association and law reform institutes. Approximately 75 delegates attended this year’s Annual Meeting, including a former President of the United States Uniform Law Commission. The ULCC was founded in 1918 and over the years has recommended the implementation of numerous Uniform Acts and other law reform initiatives. Those recommendations have often been enacted into law by federal, provincial and territorial governments.
Media contact:
Manon Dostie, Past President of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada
Ottawa, ON
Tel.: 613-952-3724
Email: manon.dostie@justice.gc.ca