Marking time: four years and counting

Bill C-15: An Act to Amend the National Defence Act was tabled in Parliament on June 2011 and was enacted into law on June 19, 2013. Yet, more than half of this bill has yet to be put into force, including all provisions aimed at strengthening the military justice system. Citing sources in the Office of the Minister of National Defence, the Canadian Parliamentary Precinct, Hill Times, now reports  that there is "No money to bring in missing-in-action military justice reforms four years after being made law" because to do so would require a "substantial commitment of time and resources."

BACKGROUND

Bill C-15 was the subject of more than two years of extensive consultation, including eight (8) separate meetings of the Standing Committee on National Defence, and five full meetings of the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. In many respects, the contents of the Bill were specifically aimed at improving the rights of members of the CAF, and strengthening the military justice system such as the scope of sentencing principles, absolute discharge, intermittent sentences, restitution, and allowing victim impact statements.