The report noted that protections for victims vary across jurisdictions
The Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime has published its 10-year progress report on how the promises set out in the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights are being fulfilled.
The report, entitled “Fulfilling the Promises of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights”, comes out on the occasion of the legislation’s 10th anniversary. The law was implemented in 2015 and reflected parliament’s commitment to granting victims enforceable rights.
Federal ombudsperson Benjamin Roebuck noted that federal agencies had since amended practices to incorporate victims’ rights and courts had acknowledged the CVBR as quasi‑constitutional. However, victims could not assert their rights in court and essential information was often only provided “on request.” Moreover, protections for victims differed considerably across jurisdictions.
These obstacles affected marginalized groups like Indigenous women, persons with disabilities, and gender‑diverse people in particular. The report outlined 24 recommendations on realizing the bill’s promises, including the following:
- Ensuring the availability of automatic, accessible information throughout the justice process in plain language
- Enhancing the right to protection, including psychological safety and consistent access to testimonial aids
- Launching mandatory trauma‑informed training for criminal justice personnel and incorporating trauma-informed and equitable justice principles into the preamble
- Guaranteeing that victims’ rights are legally enforceable, with clear remedies, standing, and avenues for review
- Supporting victims’ attempts to obtain restitution
- Financing pilot enforcement initiatives
- Permitting personal information to be corrected
- Providing consistent access to testimonial aids
- Limiting the redaction of victim impact statements and supporting engagement through a national trauma-informed advocate network
- Enhancing the OFOVC’s authority and streamlining complaint handling
Roebuck said in a statement that this report and the “Rethinking Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence: A Systemic Investigation” report should ought to inform the evaluation of Bill C-16 (An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures).
“Ten years after the CVBR came into force, I am encouraged by legislative initiatives such as Bill C‑16. I urge Parliament and justice system stakeholders to sustain this momentum and enact the necessary changes to ensure that victims’ rights become a lived reality, not merely words on paper,” Roebuck said.
