An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act (S.C. 2019, c. 8)

Marginal note:Liability for costs

39.5 The lawful owner and any person lawfully entitled to possession of any thing seized, detained, abandoned or forfeited under this Act are jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable for all the costs of inspection, seizure, detention, abandonment, forfeiture or disposition incurred by Her Majesty in right of Canada in excess of any proceeds of disposition of the thing that have been forfeited to Her Majesty under this Act.

Offences and Punishment

Marginal note:Offence and punishment — persons

• 39.6 (1) Every individual or corporation that contravenes subsection 39.21(5) or 39.24(1), a regulation made under paragraph 35(3)(c) or (d) or 52.1(a), or an order made under subsection 35.1(2) or 36(1) is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $15,000 and not more than $1,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $30,000 and not more than $2,000,000,

    • (ii) in the case of a corporation, other than a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $500,000 and not more than $6,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $12,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $75,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $150,000 and not more than $8,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $300,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $10,000 and not more than $600,000,

    • (ii) in the case of a corporation, other than a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $100,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $200,000 and not more than $8,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $25,000 and not more than $2,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $50,000 and not more than $4,000,000.

• Marginal note:Offence and punishment — ship

  (2) Every ship that contravenes subsection 39.21(4) or 39.24(1), a regulation made under paragraph 35(3)(c) or (d) or 52.1(a), an order made under subsection 35.1(2) or 36(1) or a direction made under section 39.2 is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) in the case of a ship of 7 500 tonnes deadweight or more,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $500,000 and not more than $6,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $12,000,000, and

    • (ii) in the case of a ship of less than 7 500 tonnes deadweight,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $75,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $150,000 and not more than $8,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) in the case of a ship of 7 500 tonnes deadweight or more,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $100,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $200,000 and not more than $8,000,000, and

    • (ii) in the case of a ship of less than 7 500 tonnes deadweight,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $25,000 and not more than $2,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $50,000 and not more than $4,000,000.

• Marginal note:Offence and punishment — persons

  (3) Every individual or corporation that contravenes subsection 39(6) or a regulation made under paragraph 52.1(b) or (c) is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $500,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $1,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $100,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $200,000.

• Marginal note:Offence and punishment — ship

  (4) Every ship that contravenes any regulation made under paragraph 52.1(b) or (c) is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $500,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $1,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $100,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $200,000.

• Marginal note:Small revenue corporation status

  (5) For the purposes of subsection (1), a court may determine a corporation to be a small revenue corporation if the court is satisfied that the corporation’s gross revenues for the year immediately before the day on which the offence is committed — or, if the offence is committed on more than one day, for the year immediately before the first day on which the offence is committed — were not more than $5,000,000.

• Marginal note:Non-application

  (6) The minimum amounts of fines set out in this section do not apply to any proceeding brought in accordance with subsection 39.93(1) or under the Contraventions Act.

Marginal note:Liability of directors, officers or agents or mandataries

39.61 If a corporation or a ship owned or operated by a corporation commits an offence under section 39.6, any director, officer, agent or mandatary of the corporation who directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence is a party to and guilty of the offence and is liable on conviction to the penalty provided for by that section for an individual in respect of the offence committed by the corporation or the ship, whether or not the corporation or the ship has been prosecuted or convicted.

Marginal note:Liability of owners, operators, masters and chief engineers of ships

39.62 If a ship commits an offence under section 39.6 and the owner, operator, master or chief engineer of the ship directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence, the owner, operator, master or chief engineer, as the case may be, is a party to and guilty of the offence and is liable on conviction to the penalty provided for by that section for an individual who commits an offence under that section, whether or not the ship has been prosecuted or convicted.

Marginal note:Defence

• 39.63 (1) A person shall not be found guilty of an offence under section 39.6, other than an offence consisting of a contravention of subsection 39(6), if the person establishes that they exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.

• Marginal note:Defence — ship

  (2) If a ship is prosecuted for an offence, only the persons referred to in subsection 39.67(5) may establish, for the purposes of subsection (1), that they exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.

• Marginal note:Contravention of unpublished order

  (3) A person shall not be found guilty of an offence consisting of a contravention of an order made under subsection 36(1) that, at the time of the alleged contravention, had not been published in the Canada Gazette unless it is proved that reasonable steps had been taken before that time to bring the purport of the order to the attention of those persons likely to be affected by it.

Marginal note:Continuing offence

• 39.64 (1) A person who commits or continues an offence on more than one day is liable to be convicted for a separate offence for each day on which the offence is committed or continued.

• Marginal note:Fines cumulative

  (2) If a person is convicted of an offence involving more than one animal, plant, other organism or object, the fine to be imposed in respect of that offence may be, despite section 39.6, the total of the fines that would have been imposed if each of the animals, plants, organisms or objects had been the subject of a separate information.

• Marginal note:Additional fine

  (3) If a person is convicted of an offence and the court is satisfied that, as a result of the commission of the offence, the person acquired any property, benefit or advantage, the court shall order them to pay an additional fine in an amount equal to the court’s estimation of the value of that property, benefit or advantage. The additional fine may exceed the maximum amount of any fine that may otherwise be imposed under section 39.6.

• Marginal note:Deeming — second and subsequent offence

  (4) A conviction for a particular offence under section 39.6 is deemed to be a conviction for a second or subsequent offence if the court is satisfied that the person has been previously convicted — under any Act of Parliament or an Act of a provincial legislature that relates to environmental or wildlife protection or conservation — of a substantially similar offence.

• Marginal note:Application

  (5) Subsection (4) applies only to previous convictions on indictment, to previous convictions on summary conviction and to previous convictions under any similar procedure under an Act of a provincial legislature.

Marginal note:Relief from minimum fine

39.65 The court may impose a fine that is less than the minimum amount provided for in section 39.6 if it is satisfied, on the basis of evidence submitted to the court, that the minimum fine would cause undue financial hardship to the person who has been convicted of an offence. The court shall provide reasons if it imposes a fine that is less than the minimum amount.

Marginal note:Application of fines

• 39.66 (1) All fines received by the Receiver General in respect of the commission of an offence under this Act, other than fines collected under the Contraventions Act, are to be credited to the Environmental Damages Fund, an account in the accounts of Canada, and used for purposes related to the conservation, protection or restoration of marine protected areas, or for administering that Fund.

• Marginal note:Recommendations of court

  (2) The court imposing the fine may recommend to the Minister that all or a portion of the fine credited to the Environmental Damages Fund be paid to a person or an organization specified by the court for a purpose referred to in subsection (1).

Marginal note:Application to ships

• 39.67 (1) The provisions of this Part — and those of any regulations or orders made under this Part or any regulations made under section 52.1 — relating to indictable or summary conviction offences that apply to persons also apply to ships, with any modifications that the circumstances require.

• Marginal note:Application of Criminal Code

  (2) The provisions of the Criminal Code relating to indictable or summary conviction offences that apply to persons also apply to ships, with any modifications that the circumstances require.

• Marginal note:Service

  (3) When a ship is charged with an offence under section 39.6, the summons may be served by leaving it with the master or another officer, the authorized representative, the owner or the operator of the ship, or if it cannot reasonably be left with any of those persons, by posting a copy of it on any conspicuous part of the ship.

• Marginal note:Appearance at trial

  (4) If a ship is charged with an offence under section 39.6, the ship may appear by counsel or representative before the court. Despite the Criminal Code, if the ship does not so appear, a court may, on proof of service of the summons, proceed to hold the trial.

• Marginal note:Proof of offence by ship

  (5) If a ship is prosecuted for an offence under section 39.6, it is sufficient proof of the offence to establish that the act or omission that constitutes the offence was committed by the master of the ship or any other person on board the ship, whether or not the person on board has been identified or has been prosecuted for the offence.

• Marginal note:Direction binding ship

  (6) For the purpose of prosecuting a ship for contravening a direction made under section 39.2, any direction made under that section that is given to the master or another officer, the authorized representative, the owner or the operator of the ship is deemed to have been given to the ship and is binding on it.

• Marginal note:Notice of detention order binding ship

  (7) For the purpose of prosecuting a ship for contravening of subsection 39.21(4), the notice of the detention order served in accordance with subsection 39.21(3) is deemed to have been served on the ship and is binding on it.

Marginal note:Sentencing principles

• 39.68 (1) In addition to the principles and factors that the court is otherwise required to consider, including those set out in sections 718.1 to 718.21 of the Criminal Code, the court shall consider the following principles when sentencing a person who is convicted of an offence under this Act:

  • (a) the amount of the fine should be increased to account for every aggravating factor associated with the offence, including the aggravating factors set out in subsection (2); and

  • (b) the amount of the fine should reflect the gravity of each aggravating factor associated with the offence.

• Marginal note:Aggravating factors

  (2) The aggravating factors to be considered by the court in respect of a person convicted of an offence are the following:

  • (a) the offence caused damage or a risk of damage to any marine resource, habitat or ecosystem;

  • (b) the offence caused damage or a risk of damage to any unique, rare, particularly important or vulnerable marine resource, habitat or ecosystem;

  • (c) the damage caused by the offence is extensive, persistent or irreparable;

  • (d) the person committed the offence intentionally or recklessly;

  • (e) the person failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the commission of the offence despite having the financial means to do so;

  • (f) by committing the offence or failing to take action to prevent its commission, the person increased revenue or decreased costs or intended to increase revenue or decrease costs;

  • (g) the person committed the offence despite having been warned by the Minister or an enforcement officer of the circumstances that subsequently became the subject of the offence;

  • (h) the person has a history of non-compliance with an Act of Parliament or an Act of a provincial legislature that relates to environmental or wildlife protection or conservation; and

  • (i) after committing the offence, the person

    • (i) attempted to conceal its commission,

    • (ii) failed to take prompt action to prevent, mitigate or remediate its effects, or

    • (iii) failed to take prompt action to reduce the risk of committing similar offences in the future.

• Marginal note:Absence of aggravating factor

  (3) The absence of an aggravating factor set out in subsection (2) is not a mitigating factor.

• Marginal note:Definition of damage

  (4) For the purposes of paragraphs (2)(a) to (c), damage includes loss of use value and non-use value.

• Marginal note:Reasons

  (5) If the court decides not to increase the amount of the fine despite being satisfied of the existence of one or more of the aggravating factors set out in subsection (2), the court shall provide reasons for that decision.