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MINISTER O F J U S T I C E AND %'
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A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L O F CANADA*kh\O---
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OTTAWA,
The Right Honourable
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John G. Diefenbaker, P .C.,
Prime M i n i s t e r of Canada,
Ottawa, O n t a r i o ,
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y1, 1959.
HOP.,
Dear Prime M i n i s t e r :
I have examined, and d i s c u s s e d w i t h my o f f i c i a l s ,
t h e B r i e f s , l e t t e r s and o t h e r submissions r e c e i v e d by m e on
t h e B i l l of R i g h t s subsequent t o my l e t t e r t o you o f J a n u a r y
27, 1959, and i n p a r t i c u l a r t h e R e s o l u t i o n of t h e Council of
t h e Canadian B a r A s s o c i a t i o n d a t e d March 3, 1959, t o g e t h e r w i t h
t h e memorandum t h a t accompanied i t , and t h e l e t t e r d a t e d A p r i l
29, 1959 and submitted t o you by a d e l e g a t i o n r e p r e s e n t i n g a
number o f o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n Canada,
I n t h e result, I would recommend t h e f o l l o w i n g
a d d i t i o n a l amendments:
1,
That a new paragraph ( a ) b e i n s e r t e d i n c l a u s e 3 of t h e
b i l l i n t h e f o l l o w i n g terns:
"(a) authorize o r e f f e c t t h e a r b i t r a r y detention,
imprisonment o r e x i l e o f any p e r s o n ; n
-
The remaining p a r a g r a p h s now l e t t e r e d ( a ) t o ( e l would,
o f course, have t o b e r e - l e t t e r e d a s p a r a g r a p h s (b) t o
(f 1,
2.
That t h e words " p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t self c r i m i n a t i o n n b e
i n s e r t e d a f t e r t h e word n c o u n s e l t t i n t h e p r e s e n t p a r a g r a p h
(c) of c l a u s e 3 o f t h e b i l l , s o t h a t t h e whole p a r a g r a p h
would r e a d a s f o l l o w s :
n ( c ) a u t h o r i z e a c o u r t , t r i b u n a l , commission, board o r
o t h e r a u t h o r i t y t o compel a p e r s o n t o give e v i d e n c e
i f he i s denied c o u n s e l , p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t self
crimination o r o t h e r c o n s t i t u t i o n a l safeguards;"
3,
That t h e words " t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e purposes and p r o v i s i o n s
of t h i s P a r t i n . r e l a t i o n t h e r e t o a r e f u l l y c a r r i e d o u t * i n
c l a u s e 4 be d e l e t e d and t h a t i n p l a c e t h e r e o f t h e r e b e i n s e r t e d t h e words " i n o r d e r t o a s c e r t a i n whether any o f
t h e p r o v i s i o n s t h e r e o f a r e i n c o n s i s t e n t with t h e purposes
and p r o v i s i o n s of t h i s P a r t n , s o t h a t t h e whole c l a u s e would
read a s follows:
n 4 e The M i n i s t e r of J u s t i c e s h a l l , i n accordance with such
r e g u l a t i o n s a s may b e p r e s c r i b e d by t h e Governor i n Council,
examine every proposed r e g u l a t i o n submitted i n d r a f t form
t o t h e Clerk of t h e P r i v y Council p u r s u a n t t o t h e Regulations
Act and every B i l l i n t r o d u c e d i n t h e House of Commons, i n
o r d e r t o a s c e r t a i n whether any of t h e p r o v i s i o n s t h e r e o f a r e
i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e p u r p o s e s and p r o v i s i o n s of t h i s P a r t e n
-
The foregoing recommendations a r e , of course, a d d i t i o n a
t o t h e change recommended i n my l e t t e r of January 27, 1959.
I am e n c l o s i n g h e r e w i t h a p r i n t of B i l l C-60 a s i n t r o duced a t t h e l a s t s e s s i o n of Parliament, i n which a l l o f t h e
f o r e g o i n g amendments have been i n c o r p o r a t e d , I f a r e v i s e d b i l l
i n t h e s e terms m e e t s w i t h your approval, I would recommend t h a t
t h e enclosed r e v i s e d b i l l b e t r a n s m i t t e d t o t h e Law Clerk o f
t h e House of Commons f o r p r i n t i n g and submission t o t h e Cabinet.
I have considered a l s o t h e s u g g e s t i o n made by Mr, Edwin
Goodman f o r i n c l u d i n g a p r o v i s i o n i n t h e b i l l t o a i d i n its
enforcement a g a i n s t o f f i c e r s o r a g e n t s o f t h e Crown, My view
i s t h a t w i t h a B i l l of R i g h t s on t h e s t a t u t e books it would
n e c e s s a r i l y be observed by and enforced a g a i n s t Crown s e r v a n t s
and a g e n t s and t h a t an e x p r e s s p r o v i s i o n i n t h e b i l l would n o t
b e needed, Moreover, a p r o v i s i o n going a s f a r a s h a s been sugg e s t e d would undoubtedly r e q u i r e a d d i t i o n a l s t a f f ,
However, i f
it w e r e considered d e s i r a b l e t o i n c l u d e a p r o v i s i o n a l o n g t h e
l i n e s suggested, I submit f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n a p r o v i s i o n a l o n g
t h e l i n e s of t h e a t t a c h e d d r a f t .
Yours s i n c e r e l y