Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9)

Marginal note:If agreement complied with

• 518. (1) If the Commissioner is of the opinion that the compliance agreement has been complied with, the Commissioner shall cause a notice to that effect to be served on the contracting party. If the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner shall also provide a copy of the notice to the Director.

• Marginal note:Effect of notice

  (2) Service of the notice terminates any prosecution of the contracting party that is based on the act or omission in question and prevents the Commissioner from referring the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director from instituting such a prosecution.

Marginal note:If agreement not complied with

519. If the Commissioner is of the opinion that a contracting party has not complied with a compliance agreement, the Commissioner shall cause a notice of default to be served on the contracting party, informing him or her that, as the case may be, the Commissioner may refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions for any action the Director considers appropriate or, if a prosecution was suspended by virtue of subsection 517(8), it may be resumed. If the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner shall also provide a copy of the notice to the Director.

Marginal note:Dismissal of proceedings

520. The court shall dismiss proceedings against a contracting party if it is satisfied on a balance of probabilities that he or she has totally complied with the compliance agreement or, in the case of partial compliance and taking into account the contracting party’s performance with respect to the agreement, is of the opinion that the proceedings would be unfair.

Marginal note:Publication

521. The Commissioner shall publish, in the manner and form that he or she considers appropriate, a notice that sets out the contracting party’s name, the act or omission in question and a summary of the compliance agreement.

Marginal note:Notice to party

• 521.1 (1) If the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to suspect that a registered party does not have as one of its fundamental purposes participating in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election, the Commissioner shall, in writing, notify the party that it is required to show that that is one of its fundamental purposes.

• Marginal note:Court application

  (2) If, after giving the party a reasonable opportunity to show what its fundamental purposes are, the Commissioner still has reasonable grounds to suspect that the party does not have as one of its fundamental purposes the purpose described in subsection (1), the Commissioner may apply to a court described in subsection 525(1) for an order described in subsection (3).

• Marginal note:Order

  (3) If the court is satisfied that the party does not have as one of its fundamental purposes the purpose described in subsection (1), the court shall, by order, direct the Chief Electoral Officer to deregister the party and it may

  • (a) direct the chief agent — or another person specified by the court — to liquidate the party’s assets; and

  • (b) if it directs liquidation under paragraph (a), direct the financial agent of each registered association — or another person specified by the court — to liquidate the registered association’s assets.

• Marginal note:Onus on party

  (4) The onus of satisfying the court that one of its fundamental purposes is the purpose described in subsection (1) is on the party.

• Marginal note:Factors

  (5) In making its decision, the court shall consider all of the factors relevant to determining the party’s purposes, including, as applicable, the following:

  • (a) the party’s constitution, articles of incorporation, letters patent or by-laws or any other information that may indicate those purposes;

  • (b) the party’s political program, annual report to members, fundraising plan, advertising material and policy statements;

  • (c) the nature and extent of the activities of the party and its registered associations and candidates, including the nature and extent of their involvement in electoral campaigns and any of their public statements in support of another political party or a candidate of another political party;

  • (d) the funds received by the party and its registered associations and candidates, their sources and how they are used by the party, including as election expenses;

  • (e) interactions of the party with other entities that are not recognized political parties under the laws of any province that may indicate that it is under the control, direct or indirect, of another entity or that the party is using its status as a registered party primarily for the purpose of providing financial assistance to another entity; and

  • (f) whether the party is a non-profit entity.

• Marginal note:Exemption

  (6) If, in the court’s opinion, the public interest and the need to ensure fairness of the electoral process warrant it, the court may, on application, exempt the party and its registered associations from the application of subsection 127(3.3) of the Income Tax Act. If an exemption is granted, the court may impose any conditions on the activities of the party, registered association or candidate that it considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Liquidation

  (7) If a chief agent, a financial agent or a person specified by the court is, under subsection (3), directed to liquidate, they shall carry out the liquidation in accordance with subsections 501(4) to (7).