Canada: Federal government announces proposed changes to sex offender registry – April 26, 2023

At a news conference on Parliament Hill, federal ministers David Lametti (justice) and Marci Ien (women and gender equality and youth) outline new legislation that aims to strengthen and modernize the National Sex Offender Registry. The proposed changes would ensure the automatic registration of serious and repeat child sex offenders to the registry, as well as provide additional tools to law enforcement to adequately respond to sex offences. The proposed legislation responds to a 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled the mandatory and lifetime registration on the registry was unconstitutional. They are joined by Morrell Andrews (member of My Voice, My Choice) and Benjamin Roebuck (Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime).