A-602-04
2005 FCA 345
Daniel Normandin (Appellant)
v.
The Attorney General of Canada (Respondent)
Indexed as: Normandin v. Canada (F.C.A.)
Federal Court of Appeal, Décary, Létourneau
and Pelletier JJ.A.--Montréal, October 6; Ottawa,
October 26, 2005.
Parole
--Appeal from Federal Court decision National Parole Board
having jurisdiction to impose 90-day residence requirement on
appellant upon expiration of warrant of committal as
long-term offender subject to long-term supervision
order--Appellant arguing that because scheme in Act re:
release of long-term offenders not specifically providing for
residence requirement condition, as opposed to scheme re:
offenders on parole, statutory release, Board having no
authority to impose such requirement on long-term
offenders--Appellant's reliance on expressio unius est
exclusio alterius (implied exclusion) rule rejected--Board
having general power in Corrections and Conditional Release
Act, s. 134.1(2) to ensure protection of society, facilitate
successful reintegration into society of long-term offender
by imposing conditions of supervision provided reasonable,
necessary, limited in duration--This extensive discretionary
power not precluded by more specific provisions in
Act--Comparison, analysis of provisions applicable to
distinct schemes governing long-term offenders, released
offenders also not supporting appellant's submission Act, s.
134.1(2) not allowing Board's imposition of commitment to
residence as condition of long-term supervision--Appeal
dismissed.
Construction of Statutes
--Appellant relying on expressio unius est exlusio alterius
(implied exclusion) rule to argue that because scheme re:
release of offenders on parole, statutory release referring
to residence requirement condition, whereas scheme re:
release of long-term offenders not so referring, Board not
having authority to impose such condition on long-term
offenders--Expressio unius est exlusio alterius rule not
general rule of application, interpretation--Statutory
provisions not mentioned in Corrections and Conditional
Release Act, s. 99.1 (specifying sections applicable to
long-term offenders) applying to long-term offenders when
clearly indicating that so applying--Board's general power in
Act, s. 134.1(2) to impose conditions of supervision not
precluded by more specific provisions in Act, Corrections and
Conditional Release Regulations--Implied exclusion rule also
set aside as contrary to Act's purpose--Language of Act, s.
134.1(2), purpose of long-term offender release scheme making
it clear Parliament intended assignment to community-based
residential facility be an option where high
degree of recidivism, dangerousness, temporary residence
requirement essential--Conclusion also supported by
Parliament's grant to Board of extensive discretionary power
to impose reasonable, necessary conditions on long-term
offender--Not necessary for Act, s. 99.1 to refer to s.
133(4.1) as latter not applying to long-term offenders--Fact
Act, s. 135.1(1)(c) referring to power to order commitment to
residence not meaning power to impose conditions in s.
134.1(2) excluding residence requirement--Power to commit,
assign to residence two different concepts--Power under Act,
s. 134.1(2) much broader--Regulations, s. 161(1)
applying mutatis mutandis to long-term offender, not implying
commitment to residence not allowed for such
offenders.
This was an appeal from a decision of the Federal Court
that the National Parole Board had jurisdiction to impose a
special 90-day residence requirement on the appellant upon
the expiration of his warrant of committal as a long-term
offender subject to a long-term supervision order.
Sections 133 and 134 of the Corrections and Conditional
Release Act set out a scheme of conditions applicable to
offenders on parole or statutory release. The scheme
applicable to the release of long-term offenders is found in
sections 134.1 and 135.1 of the Act. Relying on the implied
exclusion rule of statutory interpretation (expressio
unius est exclusio alterius), the appellant argued that
since sections 99.1 and 134.1 of the Act and subsection
161(1) of the Corrections and Conditional Release
Regulations expressly identify the Board's powers in
regard to a long-term offender and the conditions it may
impose on the offender, without including any residence
requirement condition other than what is provided in section
135.1, and without including subsection 133(4.1) of the Act,
which allows such a requirement, Parliament has implicitly
excluded the latter possibility and consequently denied this
authority to the Board in the case of long-term
offenders.
Held, the appeal should be dismissed.
The expressio unius est exclusio alterius rule is
not a general rule of application or interpretation.
Statutory provisions not mentioned in section 99.1 will apply
to long-term offenders when those provisions clearly indicate
that they apply to these offenders. As such, the Board's
general power (found in subsection 134.1(2)) to ensure the
protection of society and facilitate the successful
reintegration into society of a long-term offender by
imposing on the offender the conditions of supervision that
the Board considers reasonable and necessary for this purpose
is not precluded by the more specific provisions in sections
99.1, 134.1, 135.1 and subsection 133(4.1) of the Act.
The expressio unius est exclusio alterius rule was
set aside because its application would have meant that the
Board could impose a residence requirement on paroled
offenders but not on long-term offenders who pose a high risk
of recidivism. This would have gone against the Act's
purpose. The very language of subsection 134.1(2) of the Act,
which grants the Board a general power to set conditions for
long-term offenders without restrictions as to their content
and nature other than the requirement that they be necessary,
reasonable and limited in duration, illustrates that it is
not the intention of Parliament that long-term offenders with
a high degree of recidivism, who chose to serve their
sentence in full could not be assigned to a community-based
residential facility upon release even if posing a high level
of danger and an increased risk of harm to society as a
result. Parliament's intention is also illustrated by the
fact that the purpose of the scheme established for long-term
offenders within the community is to enhance the offender's
social reintegration without compromising the protection of
society and the victims. The scheme is not free of
constraint, given the nature of the crimes and the risks of
recidivism. It would not be reasonable to conclude that
Parliament, in the pursuit of the objectives of the Act, by
granting the Board the extensive discretionary power to
impose reasonable and necessary conditions on a long-term
offender, intended to exclude by implication the condition of
a residence requirement, even when that is necessary in order
to protect society and facilitate the successful
reintegration into society of the offender.
The comparison and analysis of the provisions applicable
to the distinct schemes governing long-term offenders and
released offenders did not support the appellant's submission
that subsection 134.1(2) of the Act does not allow the Board
to impose a commitment to residence as a condition of
long-term supervision. It is not necessary for section 99.1
to refer to subsection 133(4.1) and the residence requirement
authority that this subsection contains in relation to
offenders on statutory release. Subsection 133(4.1) does not
apply to long-term offenders who are not on statutory release
and it was not necessary for Parliament to make it applicable
to them through section 99.1 because the distinct scheme,
which provides the conditions for supervision of long-term
offenders, gives the Board, through the operation of
subsection 134.1(2), an authority, less restrictive than that
of subsection 133(4.1), to impose conditions of release
during their period of long-term supervision. The risk of
recidivism is high for long-term offenders and the period of
supervision is lengthy, so it was not unreasonable to think
that Parliament intended to leave intact the extensive
discretionary authority granted to the Board in subsection
134.1(2) of the Act in order to allow it to meet the specific
needs of long-term offenders and of the community. As to
paragraph 135.1(1)(c) of the Act, the fact that it
refers to the Board's power to order commitment to a
residence of a long-term offender does not mean that the
general authority in subsection 134.1(2) to impose conditions
refers to conditions other than a residence requirement. A
power to commit to a residence is not the same thing as a
power to assign to residence. The former punishes the conduct
of the long-term offender, whereas the latter refers to a
condition of his long-term supervision or of his release (in
the case of an offender on statutory release). These are two
different concepts. The intervention under section 135.1
reflects the urgency of the situation created by the failure
to comply with the conditions set out in the long-term
supervision order and the time-specific nature of the
measures taken. This contrasts with the much broader power to
set conditions of supervision under subsection 134.1(2).
Finally, subparagraph 161(1)(g)(i) of the Regulations
provides that the offender, once released, shall advise his
parole supervisor of his address of residence. That provision
must apply with the necessary adaptations to the long-term
offender. It also applies to the released offender for whom
commitment to residence is explicitly provided for by
subsections 133(4) and (4.1). Therefore, there was no valid
argument to be drawn from subparagraph 161(1)(g)(i)
that would imply that commitment to residence is not allowed
for long-term offenders.
statutes and regulations judicially
considered
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, being Part
I of the Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B, Canada
Act 1982, 1982, c. 11 (U.K.) [R.S.C., 1985, Appendix II,
No. 44], s. 7.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, S.C. 1992,
c. 20, ss. 99 (as am. by S.C. 2002, c. 1, s. 173), 99.1 (as
enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 18), 100, 101, 102 (as am. by
S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 27(F)), 109, 110, 111, 133 (as am. by
S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 48, 71(F); 1997, c. 17, s. 28), 134 (as
am. by S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 71(F); 1997, c. 17, s. 29), 134.1
(as enacted idem, s. 30), 134.2 (as enacted
idem), 135 (as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 22, s. 18; c. 42,
ss. 50, 69(E), 70(E); 1997, c. 17, s. 32(F), 32.1), 135.1 (as
enacted idem, s. 33), 140 (as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 42,
ss. 55, 69(E)), 141 (as am. idem, s. 56(F)), 142 (as
am. by S.C. 1995, c. 22, s. 13, c. 42, s. 57, 71(F), 72(F);
1997, c. 17, s. 35), 143, 144, 145, Sch. I.
Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations,
SOR/92-620, s. 161.
Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46, ss. 753.1 (as
enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 4; 2002, c. 13, s. 76), 753.2
(as enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 4), 753.3 (as enacted
idem).
cases judicially considered
applied:
McMurray v. Canada (National Parole Board) (2004),
249 F.T.R. 118; 2004 FC 462.
considered:
Godbout v. Longueuil (City), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 844;
(1997), 152 D.L.R. (4th) 577; 97 CLLC 210-031, 47 C.R.R. (2d)
1; 43 M.P.L.R. (2d) 1; 219 N.R. 1; Alimport (Empresa
Cubana Importadora de Alimentos) v. Victoria Transport
Ltd., [1977] 2 S.C.R. 858; (1976), 10 N.R. 451; R. v.
V.M., [2003] O.T.C. 97; [2003] O.J. No. 436 (QL)
(S.C.J.); R. v. Johnson (2001), 159 B.C.A.C. 255; 158
C.C.C. (3d) 155; 2001 BCCA 456.
referred to:
Congrégation des Frères de l'Instruction
Chrétienne v. Commissaires d'écoles
(Grand'pré), [1977] 1 S.C.R. 429; (1975), 10 N.R.
227; Murray Bay Motor Co. Ltd. v. Bélair Insurance
Co., [1975] 1 S.C.R. 68; (1973), 42 D.L.R. (3d) 588; 1
N.R. 206; Ternette v. Solicitor General of Canada,
[1984] 2 F.C. 486; (1984), 10 D.L.R. (4th) 587; [1984] 5
W.W.R. 612; 32 Alta. L.R. (2d) 310; 9 Admin. L.R. 24 (T.D.);
Nicholson v. Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Board of
Commissioners of Police, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 311; (1978), 88
D.L.R. (3d) 671; 78 CLLC 14,181; 23 N.R. 410.
authors cited
Côté, Pierre-André. Interpretation
of Legislation in Canada, 3rd ed. Scarborough, Ont.:
Carswell, 2000.
Sullivan, Ruth. Sullivan and Driedger on the
Construction of Statutes, 4th ed. Markham: Butterworths,
2002.
APPEAL from a decision of the Federal Court ([2005] 2
F.C.R. 373; (2004), 259 F.T.R. 144; 2004 FC 1404) upholding
the National Parole Board's imposition of a 90-day special
residence requirement on the appellant upon the expiration of
his warrant of committal as a long-term offender subject to a
long-term supervision order. Appeal dismissed.
appearances:
Diane Condo for appellant.
Dominique Guimond for respondent.
solicitors of record:
Condo Law Office, Ottawa, for appellant.
Deputy Attorney General of Canada for
respondent.
The following is the English version of the reasons for
judgment rendered by
[1]Létourneau J.A.: Did the National Parole Board
(Board) have jurisdiction to impose, as it did by order, a
special 90-day residency condition on the appellant upon the
expiration of his warrant of committal as a long-term
offender subject to a long-term supervision order?
[2]The question in the case at bar has become moot through
lapse of time, as is often the case in prison law cases.
However, the parties agreed that the subject- matter of the
litigation was, and remained for the future, of great
practical importance for the rights of long-term offenders
who could, like the appellant, be subject to such a
condition. At the hearing, we expressed our agreement to hear
the appeal. We said we were satisfied that it is in the
interest of the administration of justice to rule on the
merits of the appeal.
[3]So as not to interrupt the sequence of the appellant's
argument and the analysis that I make of it, I reproduce in
an appendix, with a few exceptions, the various statutory
provisions that are relevant to the understanding and
resolution of the case.
[4]Madam Justice Tremblay-Lamer, before whom the question
came by way of judicial review, answered in the affirmative
[[2005] 2 F.C.R. 373 (F.C.)]. In my opinion, her conclusion
was legally justified. It is not my intention to repeat each
of the rationales she gave for finding that subsection
134.1(2) [as enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 30] of the
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, S.C. 1992, c.
20 (Act) applies in this case and is the basis of the
authority for imposing a residence requirement as a special
condition and for the way in which that authority was
exercised.
[5]To situate clearly the appellant's submissions, which I
will set out below, it should be borne in mind that sections
133 [as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 48, 71(F); 1997, c. 17,
s. 28] and 134 [as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 71(F); 1997,
c. 17, s. 29] of the Act enunciate a scheme of conditions
applicable to offenders on parole or statutory release or on
a temporary absence from their place of detention. However,
the scheme governing the release of long-term offenders is
found in sections 134.1 [as enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s.
30] and 135.1 [as enacted idem, s. 33] and defines the
conditions that apply to this class of offenders.
[6]Furthermore, to facilitate the reading of the text, I
intend to use the term long-term offender to designate a
person on whom, like the appellant, the criminal court has
imposed a long-term supervision order to be served within the
community after serving his sentence of imprisonment.
[7]The long-term offender's legal situation will be
contrasted in the course of these reasons with the situation
of offenders released on parole or statutory release. I will
use the term paroled offender to refer to both types of
released offenders even though, legally speaking, the status
of offenders on parole differs somewhat from that of
offenders on statutory release. Where it is necessary to
differentiate one from or in relation to the other, I will
refer to an offender on parole or an offender on statutory
release as the case may be.
[8]So as not to unduly burden the reading of these
reasons, I will refrain from referring to offenders who are
on temporary absence, since the present argument does not
concern them.
Appellant's submissions
[9]On appeal before us, the appellant argued that the
Board did not have jurisdiction to impose a residence
requirement on him, and cited in his support the implied
exclusion rule of statutory construction. This rule was at
one time expressed by the Latin maxim expressio unius est
exclusio alterius. The appellant's argument in this
regard assumes the following form.
[10]Subsection 134.1(1) of the Act states that the
conditions that are prescribed in subsection 161(1) of the
Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations,
SOR/92-620 (Regulations) apply to the long-term offender. I
repeat that this is the situation in which, pursuant to the
court order made against him, the appellant found himself
upon the expiration of his sentence of two years'
imprisonment for some sexual offences.
[11]Now, the appellant rightly notes that subsection
161(1) of the Regulations, to which subsection 134.1(1)
refers, provides a list of conditions that do not, however,
include a residence requirement like the one imposed in this
case by the Board.
[12]The appellant further notes that section 99.1 [as
enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 18] of the Act provides that
a person like him, who is required to be supervised by a
long-term supervision order, is deemed to be an offender for
the purposes of Part II of the Act and that, in such cases,
sections 100, 101, 109 to 111 and 140 [as am. by S.C. 1995,
c. 42, ss. 55, 69(E)] [ss. 141 (as am. idem, s.
56(F)), 142 (as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 22, s. 13; c. 42, ss.
57, 71(F), 72(F); 1997, c. 17, s. 35)] to 145 of the Act
apply, with such modifications as the circumstances require,
to the long-term supervision of that person.
[13]However, subsections 133(4) and (4.1), which, in order
to facilitate the successful reintegration into society of an
offender, allow a requirement of residence in a
community-based residential facility or in a psychiatric
facility to be imposed as a condition of parole or statutory
release, is not found in the list of sections enumerated in
section 99.1
[14]Finally, the appellant refers us to section 135.1 of
the Act, which deals with the suspension of long-term
supervision where an offender breaches a condition of release
that is set down in the long-term supervision order. This
section indicates that non-compliance with the conditions of
release may result in an order of confinement of the
long-term offender in a community-based residential facility
or in a psychiatric facility.
[15]Thus, the appellant's argument continues, since
sections 99.1 and 134.1 of the Act and subsection 161(1) of
the Regulations expressly identify the Board's powers in
regard to a long-term offender and the conditions it may
impose on the offender, without including any residence
requirement condition other than what is provided in section
135.1, and without including subsection 133(4.1) of the Act,
which allows such a requirement, Parliament has implicitly
excluded the latter possibility and consequently denied this
authority to the Board in the case of long-term
offenders.
[16]To support her argument based on the rule of implied
exclusion, the appellant's counsel conducted an exegesis of
the language of sections 133, 134.1 and 135.1 of the Act,
pointing to their parallelism within their respective areas
of application and carefully spelling out the significant
differences that exist in terms of their scope. A few
examples will suffice to illustrate and aid in understanding
the thesis she presents.
[17]She rightly submits that sections 133 and 134 apply to
paroled offenders. I agree that this class of offenders
subject to the prescriptive provisions of sections 133 and
134 also includes the long-term offender during his sentence
of imprisonment if, during that period, he is paroled or
qualifies for statutory release upon the expiration of the
statutory period provided for that purpose which, unless
otherwise provided, is two thirds of his sentence of
imprisonment.
[18]According to the appellant's counsel, the difference
between the long-term offender and paroled offenders--because
there undeniably is one--is in terms of the expiration of the
sentence of imprisonment. While paroled offenders cease at
that point to be subject to conditions of release and the
jurisdiction of the Board, the long-term offender at that
point comes within the regime of long-term supervision
conditions that is found, as mentioned earlier, in sections
134.1 and 135.1 of the Act. The paroled offenders, having
served their sentence, are free of any constraint; the
long-term offender then enters the second phase of the
sentence he was given by the court, the first phase being the
imprisonment, the second supervision within the community
because of the high degree of risk of a repeat offence. This
is where the appellant's argument based on an exegesis of the
statutes comes into play.
[19]Under the scheme of conditions of release governed by
sections 133 and 134, applicable to all paroled offenders,
including, I repeat, the long-term offenders who benefit from
it, we find some so-called "automatic" conditions of release
imposed through the effect of the Act on the person who is
thereby released. In subsection 134.1(1) there is an
analogous provision in the scheme of long-term supervision
conditions specifically governing the long-term offender
during his period of supervision. I reproduce, in parallel
columns, the two provisions in alternating English and
French:
Paroled offender
133. . . .
(2) Subject to subsection (6), every offender released on
parole, statutory release or unescorted temporary absence is
subject to the conditions prescribed by the regulations.
Long-term offender
134.1 (1) Subject to subsection (4), every offender
who is required to be supervised by a long-term supervision
order is subject to the conditions prescribed by subsection
161(1) of the Corrections and Conditional Release
Regulations, with such modifications as the circumstances
require.
[20]Furthermore, the two schemes also allow the imposition
of some reasonable and necessary special or specific
conditions that may be required for the protection of society
and the successful reintegration into society of an offender.
These are found, respectively, in subsections 133(3) and
134.1(2) and (3):
Paroled offender
133. . . .
(3) The releasing authority may impose any conditions on
the parole, statutory release or unescorted temporary absence
of an offender that it considers reasonable and necessary in
order to protect society and to facilitate the successful
reintegration into society of the offender.
[no equivalent]
Long-term offender
134.1 . . .
(2) The Board may establish conditions for the long-term
supervision of the offender that it considers reasonable and
necessary in order to protect society and to facilitate the
successful reintegration into society of the offender.
(3) A condition imposed under subsection (2) is valid for
the period that the Board specifies.
[21]I note in passing that subsection 134.1(3) has no
equivalent in the paroled offender regime for the simple
reason that this regime ceases to be operative and to apply
once the duration of the sentence of imprisonment has reached
its conclusion. So it is not necessary in this regime to
provide authority to set a limit on the duration of the
parole conditions. The situation is different in the case of
long-term offenders since the extended supervision may last
up to 10 years after the expiration of the sentence of
imprisonment. It may prove unreasonable and unnecessary to
impose a condition with a duration of 10 years. Hence the
appropriateness if not the necessity of the authority
conferred in subsection 134.1(3).
[22]Within this nomenclature of the powers to impose
conditions--and it is at this point that the appellant
invokes the rule of implied exclusion and the exegesis of the
texts--subsections 133(4) and (4.1) confer the authority to
impose a residence requirement on a paroled offender. The
regime of conditions for long-term supervision has no
equivalent for the long-term offender:
Paroled offender
133. . . .
(4) Where, in the opinion of the releasing authority, the
circumstances of the case so justify, the releasing authority
may require an offender, as a condition of parole or
unescorted temporary absence, to reside in a community-based
residential facility.
(4.1) In order to facilitate the successful reintegration
into society of an offender, the releasing authority may, as
a condition of statutory release, require that the offender
reside in a community-based residential facility or in a
psychiatric facility, where the releasing authority is
satisfied that, in the absence of such a condition, the
offender will present an undue risk to society by committing
an offence listed in Schedule I before the expiration of the
offender's sentence according to law.
Long-term offender
134.1
[no equivalent]
[23]And, counsel for the appellant adds, since subsections
133(4) and (4.1) and section 134.1 were added to the Act at
the same time, in 1997, Parliament would have included the
authority to impose a residence requirement in section 134.1,
or, in section 99.1, would have referred to subsection
133(4.1), if it had intended that such a possibility should
exist for long-term offenders during the period of long-term
supervision. (It would appear that subsection 133(4) is part
of the Act since 1992 and that subsection 133(4.1) was added
to it in 1995).
[24]Finally, the appellant's counsel submits that in case
of ambiguity in the interpretation of the Act, the Court must
adopt the interpretation that is consistent with the Charter
[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, being Part I
of the Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B, Canada
Act 1982, 1982, c. 11 (U.K.) [R.S.C., 1985, Appendix II,
No. 44]] and that favours the accused. She argues that the
right to liberty guaranteed by section 7 of the Charter
includes the right to choose one's place of residence and she
refers us to the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in
Godbout v. Longueuil (City), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 844.
[25]I arrive, therefore, at the stage of analysis of the
appellant's submissions. I will begin with his arguments
concerning the application of the implied exclusion rule. I
will then examine his comparative study of the statutory
provisions at issue, and, finally, discuss his right to
benefit from the interpretation that is favourable to him in
case of ambiguity, and his right to choose his place of
residence.
Analysis of appellant's submissions
1. Application of the expressio unius est
exclusio alterius or implied exclusion
rule
[26]The appellant's argument in relation to the implied
exclusion rule is attractive, but it gives this rule of
construction an absolutism that the cases and authorities
quite uniformly do not grant it.
[27]First, this rule of statutory interpretation, also
known as the "a contrario argument" (see
Pierre-André Côté, The Interpretation
of Legislation in Canada, 3rd ed. (Scarborough: Carswell,
2000), at page 336), operates in the following way, according
to Professor Sullivan in Sullivan and Driedger on the
Construction of Statutes, 4th ed. (Toronto: Butterworths,
2002), at pages 186-187:
[traduction]
An implied exclusion argument lies whenever there is
reason to believe that if the legislature had meant to
include a particular thing within its legislation, it would
have referred to that thing expressly. Because of this
expectation, the legislature's failure to mention the thing
becomes grounds for inferring that it was deliberately
excluded. Although there is no express exclusion, exclusion
is implied. The force of the implication depends on the
strength and legitimacy of the expectation of express
reference. The better the reason for anticipating express
reference to a thing, the more telling the silence of the
legislature. [Emphasis added.]
[28]But important and useful as it may be, this rule of
construction is very far from being a general rule of
application or interpretation: see Congrégation des
Frères de l'Instruction Chrétienne v.
Commissaires d'écoles (Grand'pré), [1977] 1
S.C.R. 429, at page 435; Murray Bay Motor Co. Ltd., v.
Belair Insurance Co., [1975] 1 S.C.R. 68, at page 74. In
fact, in Alimport (Empresa Cubana Importadora de
Alimentos) v. Victoria Transport Ltd., [1977] 2 S.C.R.
858, at page 862, Mr. Justice Pigeon, discussing the rule and
speaking for the Court, writes:
The principle that the mention of a particular case
excludes application of other cases not mentioned is far from
being recognized as a general rule of interpretation. On
the contrary, an affirmative provision of limited scope does
not ordinarily exclude the application of a general rule
otherwise established. [Emphasis added.]
[29]Subsection 134.1(2) of the Act, cited by the Board as
authority for imposing a residence requirement, contains a
general power to ensure the protection of society and
facilitate the successful reintegration into society of a
long-term offender by imposing on him the conditions of
supervision that the Board considers reasonable and necessary
for this purpose. This general power, in my opinion, is not
precluded by the more specific provisions in sections 99.1,
134.1, 135.1 and subsection 133(4.1) of the Act. I will
return later to the mutual interrelationship of these
provisions. Suffice it to say at present that I agree with
the remarks by Russell J. in McMurray v. Canada (National
Parole Board) (2004), 249 F.T.R. 118 (F.C.), reproduced
in the instant case by Tremblay-Lamer J.
[30]In McMurray, Russell J., construing section
99.1, cited in support by the appellant, and looking to the
context, the general scheme and purpose of the Act and the
ordinary meaning of the words, concludes that section 99.1
refers to some specific provisions, the application of which
to long-term offenders is not obvious, in order to express
Parliament's intention that they apply. But this does not
preclude, and I would add limit, the application to long-term
offenders of other statutory provisions that are not
mentioned in section 99.1 when those provisions clearly
indicate that they apply to these offenders. It is then
unnecessary to mention them in section 99.1 since their
application is obvious. That, in my opinion, is beyond the
shadow of a doubt the case with section 134.1 and the general
power to impose conditions that is found in subsection
134.1(2). I do not really see how the failure to include a
reference to subsection 133(4.1) in section 99.1 would
preclude or limit the general scope of the power that is
expressly contained in subsection 134.1(2) to impose
conditions on a long-term offender.
[31]Second, this rule of statutory interpretation relied
on by the appellant must be used with the utmost caution: see
P.-A. Côté, The Interpretation of
Legislation, at page 337. Lacking absolute intrinsic
value, the rule must be set aside when other statutory
provisions relevant to the issue under review suggest that
its consequences would go against the statute's purpose (see
P.-A. Côté in his work, at page 339; Ternette
v. Solicitor General of Canada, [1984] 2 F.C. 486
(T.D.)), are manifestly absurd (Congrégation des
Frères de l'Instruction Chrétienne, at page
436) or lead to incoherence and injustice (Nicholson v.
Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Board of Commissioners of
Police, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 311, at pages 321-322).
[32]In short, the expressio unius est exclusio
alterius rule cannot be used to thwart the intention of
Parliament and make it inoperative. "Like all arguments based
on these presumptions", writes Professor Sullivan, at page
193 of her work, referring to the rule, "its weight depends
on a range of contextual factors and the weight of competing
considerations. Even if an implied exclusion argument is not
rebutted, it may be outweighed by other indicators of
legislative intent."
[33]In the case at bar, the Judge did not fail to note the
significant and, in my opinion, unavoidable if not to say
fatal inconsistency in the appellant's position that the
application of the rule would raise: the Board would have the
power to impose a residence requirement on paroled offenders
but could not do so in regard to long-term offenders that the
Court had ordered supervised because of a high risk of
recidivism, although, according to paragraph 101(a) of
the Act, the protection of society is the paramount
consideration that should guide the Board in achieving the
purpose of conditional release, not to mention that these
offenders can benefit from such a measure in terms of social
reintegration. Wilson J. of the Ontario Superior Court had
observed the same inconsistency in R. v. V.M., [2003]
O.T.C. 97 (S.C.J.).
[34]Appellant's counsel submits that it is a mistake to
engage, as the Superior Court of Ontario and the Federal
Court did, in a comparison between long-term offenders and
those on parole and then to draw a conclusion of
inconsistency. This is the equivalent, to use her metaphor,
of comparing apples and oranges.
[35]Her objection to the comparison is based on the fact
that these are two quite different classes of offenders and
that, in her opinion, the provisions of the Act as a whole
indicate Parliament's intention that the two classes be
subject to different regimes, because the offenders are in
different conditions. According to her, a paroled offender
ceases to be under the Board's jurisdiction when the duration
of his prison sentence has expired, since his sentence has
been served in full. However, that is not the case with the
long-term offender, who remains subject to conditions, under
the Board's supervision, and will be re-prosecuted if there
is a breach of the conditions.
[36]With respect, I do not think the distinction made by
the appellant's counsel, while correct, can justify the
conclusion she draws that it was not Parliament's intention
that a long-term offender could be subject to a residence
requirement during his extended supervision. As is apparent
below, to accept this conclusion would simply magnify the
inconsistency in the situation.
[37]For example, a long-term offender who had conditional
release (parole) or statutory release, like any other paroled
offender, could be subject to a residence requirement, as
Parliament has indicated in subsections 133(4) and (4.1).
However, once his prison sentence has been served and his
long-term supervision has begun, he could no longer be
subject to a residence requirement even if such a condition
was reasonable and necessary in order to protect the public
or facilitate his social reintegration or both.
[38]Worse yet, a long-term offender who chose not to avail
himself of parole or statutory release and who served his
prison sentence in full, as is the case with the appellant,
who remained imprisoned to the end because of his high risk
of recidivism, could not be assigned transitionally to a
community-based residential facility once he was released
from prison and back in the community. That would be the case
even if the offender's degree of recidivism and his
dangerousness are high, even if the temporary residence
requirement proved essential and even if there was an
increased risk of harm to society as a result.
[39]There is no doubt in my mind that this is not the
intention of Parliament. I find an initial indication of this
in the very language of subsection 134.1(2) of the Act which,
as mentioned earlier more than once, grants the Board a
general power to set conditions for long-term offenders
without restrictions as to their content and nature other
than the requirement that they be necessary, reasonable and
limited in duration.
[40]A second indication emerges from the very objective of
the scheme for supervising long-term offenders. Before this
scheme was established, a sexual offender could be sentenced
as a dangerous offender for an indefinite period or a longer
prison sentence. The scheme established by Parliament for
long-term offenders within the community is a more flexible
scheme that is more beneficial for them. Its purpose is to
enhance the offender's social reintegration but without
compromising the protection of society and the victims.
Notwithstanding its greater flexibility, the scheme is not
free of constraint, given the nature of the crimes and the
risks of recidivism. In R. v. Johnson (2001), 159
B.C.A.C. 255, at paragraph 98, the British Columbia Court of
Appeal summarizes clearly the purpose of the system for
supervision of long-term offenders. Ryan J. writes:
In summary then, the dangerous offender designation under
the new provisions is designed to ensure that those offenders
who are truly dangerous, whose behaviour is unlikely to be
modified or controlled, will be sentenced to an indeterminate
sentence for the highest degree of state control. An offender
whose conduct or behaviour is not pathologically intractable,
in the sense that the offender can at least reach a stage
where, though not curable, he or she can be safely controlled
in the community and who would likely have been found to be a
dangerous offender under the former provisions, may now
qualify for long-term rather than dangerous offender status.
This offender would have at least the possibility, when the
offender is no longer a risk to the community, to one day be
free of state control.
[41]Clearly, the application of the rule as proposed and
interpreted by the appellant would undermine the objectives
of the Act that are found in section 100, according to which
"[t]he purpose of conditional release is to contribute to the
maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe society by means of
decisions on the timing and conditions of release that will
best facilitate the rehabilitation of offenders and their
reintegration into the community as law-abiding citizens." Of
course Parliament's intention does not exclude the
possibility that the social rehabilitation and reintegration
of a long-term offender may, as needed, and must in some
cases, include a residence requirement when he undertakes or
serves his period of long-term supervision within the
community.
[42]Furthermore, the proposed application of the rule
tends to discredit court orders of long-term supervision of a
long-term offender. It reduces their value and usefulness and
risks jeopardizing the security that they are intended to
bring to the community. Similarly, its consequence would be
to unduly impede the work of the social workers and reduce
its effectiveness while unjustly and unnecessarily increasing
the risks of harm to society.
[43]In these circumstances, to conclude that this is the
objective sought by Parliament, as the appellant's proposed
application of the expressio unius est exclusio
alterius rule would inexorably lead us to do, is to
disregard the clearly contrary objectives Parliament took the
trouble to express and elaborate in sections 100 and 101 of
the Act.
[44]The authority given to the Board by subsection
134.1(2) is a broad and flexible discretionary authority and
the discretion is exercised at three levels. First, the Board
may or may not impose conditions for supervision of the
long-term offender. Second, the Board is also given the
authority to determine whether it is reasonable and necessary
to do so in order to ensure the protection of the public and
to facilitate the successful reintegration into society of
the offender. Third, the Board establishes the duration of
the supervision.
[45]Also, subsection 134.1(4) empowers the Board to remove
or vary these conditions if it considers this appropriate or
to relieve the long-term offender from compliance with any
such conditions it has imposed.
[46]One can therefore see from these provisions
Parliament's intention to rely on the expertise and
experience of the Board in order, to the degree possible, to
protect society while facilitating the successful reinsertion
and integration into society of the offender. In this
context, it is not reasonable, in my opinion, to conclude
that Parliament, in the pursuit of the objectives of the Act,
by granting the Board the extensive discretionary power to
impose reasonable and necessary conditions on a long-term
offender, intended to exclude by implication the condition of
a residence requirement, even when that is necessary in order
to protect society and facilitate the successful
reintegration into society of the offender.
2. Analysis of the appellant's comparative study of the
statutory provisions
[47]By necessity, when reviewing the appellant's a
contrario argument based on the rule of implied
exclusion, I examined in part the merit of the appellant's
analysis of the statutory provisions, in particular sections
99.1, 133, 134 and 134.1 of the Act. I have no intention of
repeating that exercise. But I think it is necessary to add
this concerning the interrelationship of these
provisions.
[48]It is true, as the appellant states, that section 99.1
of the Act does not refer to subsection 133(4.1) and the
residence requirement authority that this subsection contains
in relation to offenders on statutory release. But I agree
with the respondent's counsel: this subsection 133(4.1) does
not apply to long-term offenders who are not on statutory
release and it was not necessary for Parliament to make it
applicable to them through section 99.1 because the distinct
scheme, which provides the conditions for supervision of
long-term offenders, gives the Board, through the operation
of subsection 134.1(2), an authority, less restrictive than
that of subsection 133(4.1), to impose conditions of release
during their period of long-term supervision. Parliament
intended to give the Board greater latitude in the exercise
of its jurisdiction over this kind of offender.
[49]That subsection 133(4.1) of the Act has a restrictive
purpose is apparent from its very language and by comparing
it with subsections 133(3) and 134.1(2). It will be recalled
that subsections 133(3) and 134.1(2) give the Board identical
powers to impose any conditions it considers reasonable and
necessary in order to protect society and to facilitate the
successful reintegration into society of the offender. In the
case of subsection 133(3), these are paroled offenders.
Subsection 134.1(2) covers long-term offenders.
[50]Subsection 133(3), like subsection 134.1(2), is, as
worded, sufficiently broad to allow a residence requirement,
so subsection 133(4.1) would be unnecessary had not
Parliament intended, in the case of a residence requirement
for an offender on statutory release, to limit the
comprehensiveness of the power granted to the releasing
authority by subsection 133(3).
[51]In fact, a residence requirement may be imposed on an
offender on statutory release only if the releasing
authority, which includes the Board, "is satisfied that, in
the absence of such a condition," the offender will, before
the expiration of his sentence, present an undue risk to
society by committing an offence listed in Schedule I (this
schedule refers to offences of a sexual or violent nature).
The use of the authority under subsection 133(4.1) is
therefore subject to a much more rigorous test than the one
provided for the exercise of the general authority to impose
conditions under subsection 133(3). On the one hand, there
must be an undue risk to society (as opposed to a high risk
of recidivism in the case of a long-term offender) and, on
the other hand, it is not sufficient that the Board thinks it
is necessary to impose some conditions on statutory release;
it must be satisfied that the conditions are necessary and
satisfied that a residence requirement is necessary in view
of the nature of the particular risk.
[52]Parliament did not want to introduce this limitation
in the case of long-term offenders, who begin their period of
extended supervision while the offender on statutory release
is reaching the end of his sentence. The risk of recidivism
is high for long-term offenders and the period of supervision
is a lengthy one, so it is not unreasonable to think that
Parliament intended to leave intact the extensive
discretionary authority it has granted the Board in
subsection 134.1(2) of the Act in order to allow it to meet
the specific needs of long-term offenders (if they are to be
successfully reintegrated into society) and of the community
which is being made to assume the risk of the offender's
release.
[53]To support his argument, the appellant looks to
section 135.1 of the Act which, in paragraph
135.1(1)(c), refers to the Board's power to order the
commitment to a residence of a long-term offender. Since
Parliament, in this section, has spoken about a residence
requirement, the appellant says, it is obvious that the
general authority in subsection 134.1(2) to impose conditions
refers to conditions other than a residence requirement. With
respect, I think the appellant is mistaken on this point, for
the following reasons.
[54]Section 135.1 is addressed to actual or anticipated
breaches of the conditions of a long-term supervision order
or situations in which it is necessary to intervene in order
to protect society. Commitment to a community-based
residential facility is the end result of a process of
suspension of supervision followed by apprehension of the
offender. Depending on the seriousness of the breaches or of
the situation, this process may also result in a commitment
to custody rather than commitment to a residential
facility.
[55]After reviewing the case, under subsection 135.1(6),
the Board may cancel the suspension and order the resumption
of long-term supervision with or without new conditions. Or
it may recommend that an information be laid charging the
offender with an offence under section 753.3 [as enacted by
S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 4] of the Criminal Code [R.S.C.,
1985, c. C-46] (failing to comply with an order) if it is
satisfied that no appropriate program of supervision can be
established that would adequately protect society and that
the conditions of supervision have been breached.
[56]What section 135.1 confers is a power of commitment to
a residence and not a power to assign to a residence. The
first, the power of commitment, punishes the conduct of the
long-term offender while the second, the residence
requirement, refers to a condition of his long-term
supervision or, in the case of an offender on statutory
release, to a condition of that release (see subsection
133(4.1)). The first is expressed and exercised by a warrant,
the second simply by a statement or stipulation in the
supervision measures.
[57]Parliament has taken the trouble to use a different
terminology in order to clearly differentiate between the two
concepts. Subsection 133(4.1) states, in the case of an
offender on statutory release, that the releasing authority
"may. . . require that the offender reside." This
terminology contrasts with that of subsection 135.1(1),
applicable to the long-term offender, where the Board "may,
by warrant. . . authorize the commitment of the
offender to a community-based residential facility
or. . . to custody."
[58]The terminology of section 135.1 of the Act also
provides two further indicators as to the different nature of
the authority exercised under this provision.
[59]First, the warrant of commitment to residence of a
long-term offender may be issued by, among other persons, a
member of the Board or the person designated, by name or by
position, by the Chairperson of the Board or by the
Commissioner. This differs from the authority to assign such
an offender to residence as a condition of supervision under
subsection 134.1(2), where it can be seen that this authority
is the Board's. The delegation of authority in section 135.1
is explained by the urgency of the intervention. To all
intents and purposes it is identical to the authority in
section 135 of the Act which, parallel to the provisions
covering a long-term offender, is addressed to the suspension
by warrant of the release of a paroled offender, his arrest
and his incarceration.
[60]Second, commitment to residence by warrant is
temporary and runs only until the case is disposed of through
the cancellation of the suspension, the imposition of new
conditions of supervision or the indictment of the offender.
Like the warrant of committal, moreover, it cannot exceed 90
days under subsection 135.1(2). Again, these provisions of
section 135.1 reflect the urgency of the situation created by
the failure to comply with the conditions set out in the
long-term supervision order and the time-specific nature of
the measures taken, whether of commitment to residence or
custody.
[61]Again, the limited applicability of section 135.1
contrasts with the much broader power to set conditions of
supervision under subsection 134.1(2). The duration of the
commitment to residence under subsection 134.1(2) is
established by the Board and determined by the necessity and
reasonableness of imposing such a condition. This subsection,
I note again, does not set any maximum time limit for
commitment to residence, as is the case for the warrant of
commitment in section 135.1.
[62]Finally, the appellant submits that subparagraph
161(1)(g)(i) of the Regulations demonstrates, by its
content, that the long-term offender cannot be compelled to
remain in a residence. This subparagraph which, through the
operation of section 134.1 applies, mutatis mutandis,
to the long-term offender, provides that the offender, once
released, shall advise his parole supervisor of his address
of residence and thereafter report immediately any change in
his address of residence. This obligation, the appellant
says, is meaningless for a long-term offender committed to
residence since he cannot change his residence. Consequently,
Parliament was not contemplating a residence requirement for
long-term offenders.
[63]The appellant's conclusion, in my opinion, is not
supported by his premise. First of all, subsection 161(1) of
the Regulations must apply with the necessary adaptations.
Second, subparagraph 161(1)(g)(i) applies as well to
the released offender by the reference to subsection 133(2)
of the Act. And commitment to residence of this offender is
explicitly provided for by subsections 133(4) and (4.1) of
the Act. So there is no valid argument to be drawn from
subparagraph 161(1)(g)(i) of the Regulations that
would imply that commitment to residence is not allowed for
long-term offenders.
[64]In the end, then, the comparison and analysis of the
provisions applicable to the distinct schemes governing
long-term offenders and released offenders do not support the
appellant's submission that subsection 134.1(2) of the Act
does not allow the Board to impose a commitment to residence
as a condition of long-term supervision.
3. Appellant's right to the interpretation that favours
him in case of ambiguity and to choose his place of
residence
[65]Since I have concluded that there is no ambiguity as
to the interpretation of subsection 134.1(2), it is
unnecessary to discuss the appellant's claim in this regard
at any greater length.
[66]As to his right to choose his place of residence, the
appellant remains subject to the authority to commit to
residence and the other conditions that his period of
supervision may necessitate. Moreover, it should be kept in
mind that the appellant is still under sentence and that the
"long-term supervision" component of that sentence submits
him to conditions that lawfully limit his freedom in the
interests of the public's protection. Be that as it may, I do
not think that in these conditions and for as long as the
period of supervision lasts, the Charter guarantees him the
absolute and unfettered right to reside wherever he wishes,
particularly in proximity to his victims.
[67]I am grateful to counsel for both parties for their
mastery of the issues and the treatment they made of it in
their submissions.
[68]For the reasons expressed, I would dismiss the appeal
but without costs in the circumstances as its purpose was to
determine, for the future, a question of importance for
long-term offenders, the Board and the penitentiary
authorities.
Décary J.A.: I agree.
Pelletier J.A.: I agree.
APPENDIX
APPLICABLE LAW
Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46 [ss. 753.1 (as
enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 4; 2002, c. 13, s. 76), 753.2
(as enacted by S.C. 1997, c. 17, s. 4), 753.3 (as enacted
idem):
753.1 (1) The court may, on application made under
this Part following the filing of an assessment report under
subsection 752.1(2), find an offender to be a long-term
offender if it is satisfied that:
(a) it would be appropriate to impose a sentence of
imprisonment of two years or more for the offence for which
the offender has been convicted;
(b) there is a substantial risk that the offender
will reoffend; and
(c) there is a reasonable possibility of eventual
control of the risk in the community.
(2) The court shall be satisfied that there is a
substantial risk that the offender will reoffend if
(a) the offender has been convicted of an offence
under section 151 (sexual interference), 152 (invitation to
sexual touching) or 153 (sexual exploitation), subsection
163.1(2) (making child pornography), subsection 163.1(3)
(distribution, etc., of child pornography), subsection
163.1(4) (possession of child pornography), subsection
163.1(4.1) (accessing child pornography), section 172.1
(luring a child), subsection 173(2) (exposure) or section 271
(sexual assault), 272 (sexual assault with a weapon) or 273
(aggravated sexual assault), or has engaged in serious
conduct of a sexual nature in the commission of another
offence of which the offender has been convicted; and
(b) the offender
(i) has shown a pattern of repetitive behaviour, of which
the offence for which he or she has been convicted forms a
part, that shows a likelihood of the offender's causing death
or injury to other persons or inflicting severe psychological
damage on other persons, or
(ii) by conduct in any sexual matter including that
involved in the commission of the offence for which the
offender has been convicted, has shown a likelihood of
causing injury, pain or other evil to other persons in the
future through similar offences.
(3) Subject to subsections (3.1), (4) and (5), if the
court finds an offender to be a long-term offender, it
shall
(a) impose a sentence for the offence for which the
offender has been convicted, which sentence must be a minimum
punishment of imprisonment for a term of two years; and
(b) order the offender to be supervised in the
community, for a period not exceeding ten years, in
accordance with section 753.2 and the Corrections and
Conditional Release Act.
(3.1) The court may not impose a sentence under paragraph
(3)(a) and the sentence that was imposed for the
offence for which the offender was convicted stands despite
the offender's being found to be a long-term offender, if the
application was one that
(a) was made after the offender begins to serve the
sentence in a case to which paragraphs 753(2)(a) and
(b) apply; and
(b) was treated as an application under this
section further to the court deciding to do so under
paragraph 753(5)(a).
(4) The court shall not make an order under paragraph
(3)(b) if the offender has been sentenced to life
imprisonment.
(5) If the offender commits another offence while required
to be supervised by an order made under paragraph
(3)(b), and is thereby found to be a long-term
offender, the periods of supervision to which the offender is
subject at any particular time must not total more than ten
years.
(6) If the court does not find an offender to be a
long-term offender, the court shall impose sentence for the
offence for which the offender has been convicted.
753.2 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an offender
who is required to be supervised by an order made under
paragraph 753.1(3)(b) shall be supervised in
accordance with the Corrections and Conditional Release
Act when the offender has finished serving
(a) the sentence for the offence for which the
offender has been convicted; and
(b) all other sentences for offences for which the
offender is convicted and for which sentence of a term of
imprisonment is imposed on the offender, either before or
after the conviction for the offence referred to in paragraph
(a).
(2) A sentence imposed on an offender referred to in
subsection (1), other than a sentence that requires
imprisonment of the offender, is to be served concurrently
with the long-term supervision ordered under paragraph
753.1(3)(b).
(3) An offender who is required to be supervised, a member
of the National Parole Board, or, on approval of that Board,
the parole supervisor, as that expression is defined in
subsection 134.2(2) of the Corrections and Conditional
Release Act, of the offender, may apply to a superior
court of criminal jurisdiction for an order reducing the
period of long-term supervision or terminating it on the
ground that the offender no longer presents a substantial
risk of reoffending and thereby being a danger to the
community. The onus of proving that ground is on the
applicant.
(4) The applicant must give notice of an application under
subsection (3) to the Attorney General at the time the
application is made.
753.3 (1) An offender who is required to be
supervised by an order made under paragraph
753.1(3)(b) and who, without reasonable excuse, fails
or refuses to comply with that order is guilty of an
indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding ten years.
(2) An accused who is charged with an offence under
subsection (1) may be tried and punished by any court having
jurisdiction to try that offence in the place where the
offence is alleged to have been committed or in the place
where the accused is found, is arrested or is in custody, but
if the place where the accused is found, is arrested or is in
custody is outside the province in which the offence is
alleged to have been committed, no proceedings in respect of
that offence shall be instituted in that place without the
consent of the Attorney General of that province.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, S.C. 1992,
c. 20 [ss. 99 (as am. by S.C. 2002, c. 1, s. 173), 102 (as
am. by S.C. 1995, c. 42, s. 27(F)), 134.2 (as enacted by S.C.
1997, c. 17, s. 30), 135 (as am. by S.C. 1995, c. 22, s. 18;
c. 42, ss. 50, 69(E), 70(E); 1997, c. 17, ss. 32(F),
32.1)]:
PART II
CONDITIONAL RELEASE, DETENTION AND LONG-TERM
SUPERVISION
Interpretation
99. (1) In this Part,
. . .
"offender" means:
(a) a person, other than a young person within the
meaning of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, who is
under a sentence imposed before or after the coming into
force of this section
(i) pursuant to an Act of Parliament or, to the extent
that this Part applies, pursuant to a provincial Act, or
(ii) on conviction for criminal or civil contempt of court
if the sentence does not include a requirement that the
offender return to that court, or
(b) a young person within the meaning of the
Youth Criminal Justice Act with respect to whom an
order, committal or direction under section 76, 89, 92 or 93
of that Act has been made,
but does not include a person whose only sentence is a
sentence being served intermittently pursuant to section 732
of the Criminal Code;
. . .
99.1 A person who is required to be supervised
by a long-term supervision order is deemed to be an offender
for the purposes of this Part, and sections 100, 101, 109 to
111 and 140 to 145 apply, with such modifications as the
circumstances require, to the person and to the long-term
supervision of that person.
. . .
Purpose and Principles
100. The purpose of conditional release is to
contribute to the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe
society by means of decisions on the timing and conditions of
release that will best facilitate the rehabilitation of
offenders and their reintegration into the community as
law-abiding citizens.
101. The principles that shall guide the
Board and the provincial parole boards in achieving the
purpose of conditional release are
(a) that the protection of society be the
paramount consideration in the determination of any
case;
(b) that parole boards take into consideration all
available information that is relevant to a case, including
the stated reasons and recommendations of the sentencing
judge, any other information from the trial or the sentencing
hearing, information and assessments provided by correctional
authorities, and information obtained from victims and the
offender;
(c) that parole boards enhance their effectiveness
and openness through the timely exchange of relevant
information with other components of the criminal justice
system and through communication of their policies and
programs to offenders, victims and the general public;
(d) that parole boards make the least restrictive
determination consistent with the protection of society;
(e) that parole boards adopt and be guided by
appropriate policies and that their members be provided with
the training necessary to implement those policies; and
(f) that offenders be provided with relevant
information, reasons for decisions and access to the review
of decisions in order to ensure a fair and understandable
conditional release process.
102. The Board or a provincial parole board may
grant parole to an offender if, in its opinion,
(a) the offender will not, by reoffending, present
an undue risk to society before the expiration according to
law of the sentence the offender is serving; and
(b) the release of the offender will contribute to
the protection of society by facilitating the reintegration
of the offender into society as a law-abiding citizen.
. . .
Conditions of Release
133. (1) In this section, "releasing authority"
means
(a) the Board, in respect of
(i) parole,
(ii) statutory release, or
(iii) unescorted temporary absences authorized by the
Board under subsection 116(1),
(b) the Commissioner, in respect of unescorted
temporary absences authorized by the Commissioner under
subsection 116(2); or
(c) the institutional head, in respect of
unescorted temporary absences authorized by the institutional
head under subsection 116(2).
(2) Subject to subsection (6), every offender released
on parole, statutory release or unescorted temporary absence
is subject to the conditions prescribed by the
regulations.
(3) The releasing authority may impose any
conditions on the parole, statutory release or unescorted
temporary absence of an offender that it considers
reasonable and necessary in order to protect society and to
facilitate the successful reintegration into society of the
offender.
(4) Where, in the opinion of the releasing authority, the
circumstances of the case so justify, the releasing authority
may require an offender, as a condition of
parole or unescorted temporary absence, to reside in a
community-based residential facility.
(4.1) In order to facilitate the successful reintegration
into society of an offender, the releasing authority may,
as a condition of statutory release, require that the
offender reside in a community-based residential facility or
in a psychiatric facility, where the releasing authority
is satisfied that, in the absence of such a condition,
the offender will present an undue risk to society by
committing an offence listed in Schedule I before the
expiration of the offender's sentence according to law.
(4.2) In subsection (4.1), "community-based residential
facility" includes a community correctional centre but does
not include any other penitentiary.
(4.3) For the purposes of subsection (4.1), the releasing
authority is not required to determine whether the offender
is likely to commit any particular offence.
(4.4) A condition under subsection (4.1) that an offender
reside in a community correctional centre is valid only if
consented to in writing by the Commissioner or a person
designated, by name or by position, by the Commissioner.
(5) A condition imposed pursuant to subsection (3), (4) or
(4.1) is valid for such period as the releasing authority
specifies.
(6) The releasing authority may, in accordance with the
regulations, before or after the release of an
offender,
(a) in respect of conditions referred to in
subsection (2), relieve the offender from compliance with
any such condition or vary the application to the offender of
any such condition; or
(b) in respect of conditions imposed under
subsection (3), (4) or (4.1), remove or vary any such
condition.
134. (1) An offender who has been released on
parole, statutory release or unescorted temporary absence
shall comply with any instructions given by a member of the
Board or a person designated, by name or by position, by the
Chairperson of the Board or the Commissioner, or given by the
institutional head or by the offender's parole supervisor,
respecting any conditions of parole, statutory release or
unescorted temporary absence in order to prevent a breach of
any condition or to protect society.
(2) In this section, "parole supervisor" means
(a) a staff member as defined in subsection 2(1);
or
(b) a person entrusted by the Service with the
guidance and supervision of an offender on parole, statutory
release or unescorted temporary absence.
Conditions for Long-Term Supervision
134.1 (1) Subject to subsection (4), every
offender who is required to be supervised by a long-term
supervision order is subject to the conditions prescribed by
subsection 161(1) of the Corrections and
Conditional Release Regulations, with such
modifications as the circumstances require.
(2) The Board may establish conditions for the
long-term supervision of the offender that it considers
reasonable and necessary in order to protect society and to
facilitate the successful reintegration into society of the
offender.
(3) A condition imposed under subsection (2) is valid
for the period that the Board specifies.
(4) The Board may, in accordance with the regulations,
at any time during the long-term supervision of an
offender,
(a) in respect of conditions referred to in
subsection (1), relieve the offender from compliance with
any such condition or vary the application to the offender of
any such condition; or
(b) in respect of conditions imposed under
subsection (2), remove or vary any such condition.
134.2 (1) An offender who is supervised pursuant to
a long-term supervision order shall comply with any
instructions given by a member of the Board or a person
designated, by name or by position, by the Chairperson of the
Board or by the Commissioner, or given by the offender's
parole supervisor, respecting any conditions of long-term
supervision in order to prevent a breach of any condition or
to protect society.
(2) In this section, "parole supervisor" means
(a) a staff member as defined in subsection 2(1);
or
(b) a person entrusted by the Service with the
guidance and supervision of an offender who is required to be
supervised by a long-term supervision order.
Suspension, Termination, Revocation and Inoperativeness
of Parole, Statutory Release or Long-Term Supervision
Suspension, cessation, révocation et
ineffectivité de la libération conditionnelle
ou d'office ou de la surveillance de longue
durée
135. (1) A member of the Board or a person,
designated by name or by position, by the Chairperson of the
Board or by the Commissioner, when an offender breaches a
condition of parole or statutory release or when the member
or person is satisfied that it is necessary and reasonable to
suspend the parole or statutory release in order to prevent a
breach of any condition thereof or to protect society, may,
by warrant,
(a) suspend the parole or statutory release;
(b) authorize the apprehension of the offender;
and
(c) authorize the recommitment of the offender to
custody until the suspension is cancelled, the parole or
statutory release is terminated or revoked or the sentence of
the offender has expired according to law.
(2) A person designated pursuant to subsection (1) may, by
warrant, order the transfer to penitentiary of an offender
who is recommitted to custody pursuant to subsection (1) in a
place other than a penitentiary.
(3) The person who signs a warrant pursuant to subsection
(1) or any other person designated pursuant to that
subsection shall, forthwith after the recommitment of the
offender, review the offender's case and
(a) where the offender is serving a sentence of
less than two years, cancel the suspension or refer the case
to the Board together with an assessment of the case, within
fourteen days after the recommitment or such shorter period
as the Board directs; or
(b) in any other case, within thirty days after the
recommitment or such shorter period as the Board directs,
cancel the suspension or refer the case to the Board together
with an assessment of the case stating the conditions, if
any, under which the offender could in that person's opinion
reasonably be returned to parole or statutory release.
(4) The Board shall, on the referral to it of the case of
an offender serving a sentence of less than two years, review
the case and, within the period prescribed by the
regulations, either cancel the suspension or terminate or
revoke the parole.
(5) The Board shall, on the referral to it of the case of
an offender serving a sentence of two years or more, review
the case and, within the period prescribed by the
regulations, unless the Board grants an adjournment at the
offender's request,
(a) cancel the suspension, where the Board is
satisfied that, in view of the offender's behaviour since
release, the offender will not, by reoffending before the
expiration of the offender's sentence according to law,
present an undue risk to society;
(b) where the Board is not satisfied as provided in
paragraph (a), terminate the parole or statutory
release of the offender if it was suspended by reason of
circumstances beyond the offender's control or revoke it in
any other case; or
(c) where the offender is no longer eligible for
the parole or entitled to be released on statutory release,
terminate or revoke it.
(6) If in the Board's opinion it is necessary and
reasonable to do so in order to protect society or to
facilitate the reintegration of the offender into society,
the Board, when it cancels a suspension of the parole or
statutory release of an offender, may
(a) reprimand the offender in order to warn the
offender of the Board's dissatisfaction with the offender's
behaviour since release;
(b) alter the conditions of the parole or statutory
release; and
(c) order the cancellation not to take effect until
the expiration of a specified period not exceeding thirty
days after the date of the Board's decision, where the
offender violated the conditions of parole or statutory
release on the occasion of the suspension and on at least one
previous occasion that led to a suspension of parole or
statutory release during the offender's sentence.
(6.1) Where a person referred to in subsection (3) or the
Board cancels a suspension under this section, the person or
the Board, as the case may be, shall forward a notification
of the cancellation of the suspension or an electronically
transmitted copy of the notification to the person in charge
of the facility in which the offender is being held.
(7) Independently of subsections (1) to (6), where the
Board is satisfied that the continued parole or statutory
release of an offender would constitute an undue risk to
society by reason of the offender reoffending before the
expiration of the sentence according to law, the Board may,
at any time,
(a) where the offender is no longer eligible for
the parole or entitled to be released on statutory release,
terminate or revoke the parole or statutory release; or
(b) where the offender is still eligible for the
parole or entitled to be released on statutory release,
(i) terminate the parole or statutory release, where the
undue risk to society is due to circumstances beyond the
offender's control, or
(ii) revoke the parole or statutory release, where the
undue risk to society is due to circumstances within the
offender's control.
(8) The Board may exercise its power under subsection (7)
notwithstanding any new sentence to which the offender
becomes subject after being released on parole or statutory
release, whether or not the new sentence is in respect of an
offence committed before or after the offender's release on
parole or statutory release.
(9) Where the Board exercises its power under subsection
(7), it shall review its decision at times prescribed by the
regulations, at which times it shall either confirm or cancel
its decision.
(9.1) Where an offender whose parole or statutory release
has not been terminated or revoked is incarcerated as a
result of an additional sentence for an offence under an Act
of Parliament, the parole or statutory release, as the case
may be, is revoked on the day on which the offender is
incarcerated as a result of the additional sentence.
(9.2) Subsection (9.1) does not apply where the additional
sentence is to be served concurrently with, and is in respect
of an offence committed before the commencement of, the
sentence to which the parole or statutory release
applies.
(9.3) Where an offender who is released on parole receives
an additional sentence described in subsection (9.2) and the
day determined in accordance with section 119, 120 or 120.2,
as the case may be, on which the offender is eligible for
parole is later than the day on which the offender received
the additional sentence, the parole becomes inoperative and
the offender shall be reincarcerated.
(9.4) Unless the lieutenant governor in council of a
province in which there is a provincial parole board makes a
declaration under subsection 113(1) that subsection (9.1)
applies in respect of offenders under the jurisdiction of
that provincial parole board, subsection (9.1) does not apply
in respect of such offenders, other than an offender who
(a) is serving a sentence in a provincial
correctional facility pursuant to an agreement entered into
under paragraph 16(1)(a); or
(b) as a result of receiving an additional sentence
referred to in subsection (9.1), is required, pursuant to
section 743.1 of the Criminal Code, to serve the
sentence in a penitentiary.
(9.5) Where an offender to whom subsection (9.1) does not
apply who is on parole that has not been revoked or
terminated receives an additional sentence, for an offence
under an Act of Parliament, that is to be served
consecutively with the sentence the offender was serving when
the additional sentence was imposed, the parole becomes
inoperative and the offender shall be reincarcerated until
the day on which the offender has served, from the day on
which the additional sentence was imposed, the period of
ineligibility in relation to the additional sentence and, on
that day, the parole is resumed, subject to the provisions of
this Act, unless, before that day, the parole has been
revoked or terminated.
(10) For the purposes of this Part, an offender who is in
custody by virtue of this section continues to serve the
offender's sentence.
(11) For the purposes of this Act, where a suspension of
parole or statutory release is cancelled, the offender is
deemed, during the period beginning on the day of the
issuance of the suspension and ending on the day of the
cancellation of the suspension, to have been serving the
sentence to which the parole or statutory release
applies.
135.1 (1) A member of the Board or a person
designated, by name or by position, by the Chairperson of the
Board or by the Commissioner, when an offender breaches a
condition of a long-term supervision order or a condition
referred to in section 134.1 or when the member or person
is satisfied that it is necessary and reasonable to suspend
the long-term supervision in order to prevent a breach of any
condition of it or to protect society, may, by
warrant,
(a) suspend the long-term supervision;
(b) authorize the apprehension of the offender;
and
(c) authorize the commitment of the offender to
a community-based residential facility or a mental health
facility or, where the member or person is satisfied that
commitment to custody is necessary, to custody until the
suspension is cancelled, new conditions for the long-term
supervision have been established or the offender is charged
with an offence under section 753.3 of the Criminal
Code.
(2) The period of the commitment of the offender
mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) must not
exceed ninety days.
(3) Where an offender is committed under paragraph
(1)(c), the period of the commitment is included in
the calculation of the period of long-term supervision
ordered under a long-term supervision order, but if there is
a period between the issuance of the warrant and the
commitment to custody, that period is not included in that
calculation.
(4) A person designated pursuant to subsection (1) may, by
warrant, order the transfer to penitentiary of an offender
who is committed under paragraph (1)(c) in a place
other than a penitentiary.
(5) The person who signs a warrant pursuant to subsection
(1), or any other person designated pursuant to that
subsection, shall, immediately after the commitment of the
offender, review the offender's case and, as soon as possible
but in any case no later than thirty days after the
commitment, cancel the suspension or refer the case to the
Board together with an assessment of the case.
(6) The Board shall, on the referral to it of the case
of an offender, review the case and, within sixty days
after the date of the referral,
(a) cancel the suspension, where the Board is
satisfied that, in view of the offender's behaviour while
being supervised, the resumption of long-term supervision on
the same conditions would not constitute a substantial risk
to society by reason of the offender reoffending before the
expiration of the period of long-term supervision;
(b) where the Board is not satisfied as provided in
paragraph (a), cancel the suspension and order the
resumption of long-term supervision on any conditions that
the Board considers necessary to protect society; or
(c) where the Board is satisfied that no
appropriate program of supervision can be established that
would adequately protect society from the risk of the
offender reoffending, and that it appears that a breach has
occurred, recommend that an information be laid charging
the offender with an offence under section 753.3 of the
Criminal Code.
(7) Where the Board recommends that an information be laid
pursuant to paragraph (6)(c), the Service shall
recommend to the Attorney General who has jurisdiction in the
place in which the breach of the condition occurred that an
information be laid charging the offender with an offence
under section 753.3 of the Criminal Code.
(8) If in the Board's opinion it is necessary and
reasonable to do so in order to protect society or to
facilitate the reintegration of the offender into society,
the Board, when it cancels a suspension of the long-term
supervision order of an offender, may
(a) reprimand the offender in order to warn the
offender of the Board's dissatisfaction with the offender's
behaviour while being supervised;
(b) alter the conditions of the long-term
supervision; and
(c) order the cancellation not to take effect until
the expiration of a specified period that ends on a date not
later than the end of the ninety days referred to in
subsection (2), in order to allow the offender to participate
in a program that would help ensure that society is protected
from the risk of the offender reoffending.
(9) Where a person referred to in subsection (4) or the
Board cancels a suspension under this section, the person or
the Board, as the case may be, shall forward a notification
of the cancellation of the suspension or an electronically
transmitted copy of the notification to the person in charge
of the facility in which the offender is being held.
[Emphasis added.]
Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations,
SOR/92-620
PART II
CONDITIONAL RELEASE
. . .
Conditions of Release
161. (1) For the purposes of subsection 133(2) of
the Act, every offender who is released on parole or
statutory release is subject to the following conditions,
namely, that the offender:
(a) on release, travel directly to the offender's
place of residence, as set out in the release certificate
respecting the offender, and report to the offender's parole
supervisor immediately and thereafter as instructed by the
parole supervisor;
(b) remain at all times in Canada within the
territorial boundaries fixed by the parole supervisor;
(c) obey the law and keep the peace;
(d) inform the parole supervisor immediately on
arrest or on being questioned by the police;
(e) at all times carry the release certificate and
the identity card provided by the releasing authority and
produce them on request for identification to any peace
officer or parole supervisor;
(f) report to the police if and as instructed by
the parole supervisor;
(g) advise the parole supervisor of the
offender's address of residence on release and thereafter
report immediately
(i) any change in the offender's address of
residence,
(ii) any change in the offender's normal occupation,
including employment, vocational or educational training and
volunteer work,
(iii) any change in the domestic or financial situation of
the offender and, on request of the parole supervisor, any
change that the offender has knowledge of in the family
situation of the offender, and
(iv) any change that may reasonably be expected to affect
the offender's ability to comply with the conditions of
parole or statutory release;
(h) not own, possess or have the control of any
weapon, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code,
except as authorized by the parole supervisor; and
(i) in respect of an offender released on day
parole, on completion of the day parole, return to the
penitentiary from which the offender was released on the date
and at the time provided for in the release certificate.
(2) For the purposes of subsection 133(2) of the Act,
every offender who is released on unescorted temporary
absence is subject to the following conditions, namely, that
the offender
(a) on release, travel directly to the destination
set out in the absence permit respecting the offender, report
to a parole supervisor as directed by the releasing authority
and follow the release plan approved by the releasing
authority;
(b) remain in Canada within the territorial
boundaries fixed by the parole supervisor for the duration of
the absence;
(c) obey the law and keep the peace;
(d) inform the parole supervisor immediately on
arrest or on being questioned by the police;
(e) at all times carry the absence permit and the
identity card provided by the releasing authority and produce
them on request for identification to any peace officer or
parole supervisor;
(f) report to the police if and as instructed by
the releasing authority;
(g) return to the penitentiary from which the
offender was released on the date and at the time provided
for in the absence permit;
(h) not own, possess or have the control of any
weapon, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code,
except as authorized by the parole supervisor. [Emphasis
added.]