C-423
First Session, Thirty-ninth Parliament,
55-56 Elizabeth II, 2006-2007
HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA
BILL C-423
An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act (treatment for substance abuse)
first reading, April 16, 2007
NOTE
2nd Session, 39th Parliament
This bill was introduced during the First Session of the 39th Parliament. Pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, it is deemed to have been considered and approved at all stages completed at the time of prorogation of the First Session. The number of the bill remains unchanged.
Mr. Lake
391504
SUMMARY
This enactment amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act to require that a police officer must, before starting judicial proceedings or taking any other measures under this Act against a young person alleged to have committed an offence, consider whether it would be sufficient to refer the young person to an addiction specialist for assessment and, if warranted, treatment recommendations. 
If the young person enters into a treatment program as a result of such a referral and fails to complete the program, the outcome may be the start of jucidial proceedings against that young person.
Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca
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1st Session, 39th Parliament,
55-56 Elizabeth II, 2006-2007
house of commons of canada
BILL C-423
An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act (treatment for substance abuse)
2002, c. 1
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. (1) Subsection 6(1) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is replaced by the following:
Warnings, cautions and referrals
6. (1) A police officer shall, before starting judicial proceedings or taking any other meas-ures under this Act against a young person alleged to have committed an offence, consider whether it would be sufficient, having regard to the principles set out in section 4, to
(a) take no further action;
(b) warn the young person;
(c) if a program has been established under section 7, administer a caution; or
(d) if the young person has given his or her consent, refer the young person to
(i) a program or agency in the community that may assist the young person not to commit offences, or
(ii) if appropriate, an addiction specialist to assess whether the young person is engaged in substance abuse and, if so, to recommend a treatment program.
(2) Section 6 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):
Failure to complete treatment program
(3) If a young person has been referred to an addiction specialist under subsection (1), and, as a result of that referral, has entered into a treatment program, the failure of that young person to complete the requirements of that program shall be taken into consideration by a police officer in deciding whether to start judicial proceedings against that young person.
Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of CommonsAvailable from:Publishing and Depository ServicesPublic Works and Government Services Canada