Source: http://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/41-2/b210e.php
Timestamp: 2018-01-21 18:01:03
Document Index: 415378696

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 4', 'art.\n27', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4']

The Children's Advocate Act
WHEREAS Manitoba is committed to ensuring the rights and interests of children and young adults are recognized and protected and that their views are heard and considered by the Government of Manitoba and by those who provide or fund services to children and young adults;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba recognizes that children and young adults have the right to learn and develop, to be protected from harm, to receive care and assistance, to participate in the decisions affecting them, and to share and contribute to family, culture and social life;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba recognizes that Indigenous culture and Indigenous societal values require a holistic understanding of the best interests of children and young adults within healthy families, and acknowledges the importance of those societal values in supporting the resiliency of children, young adults and families;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba is committed to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20, 1989, and ratified by Canada on December 13, 1991;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba is committed to reconciliation as guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba recognizes the need for an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly who, guided by Indigenous culture and Indigenous societal values, will advocate for the rights and interests of children and young adults and assist the Legislative Assembly and the Government of Manitoba in ensuring the needs of children and young adults are met;
"child" means a person under the age of 18 years. (« enfant »)
"children's advocate" means the Children's Advocate appointed under section 2. (« protecteur des enfants »)
"critical injury" means an injury that may
(a) result in death; or
(b) cause serious or long-term impairment to health. (« blessure grave »)
(c) early childhood development and child care services for children and their families, including services provided in accordance with The Community Child Care Standards Act;
(d) educational programming for children in the care of an agency under The Child and Family Services Act who have, or are eligible to have, an individual education plan under The Public Schools Act;
(e) mental health services for children provided by or on behalf of a public body or a health care facility;
(f) addiction services for children provided by or on behalf of a public body or a health care facility;
2(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council must, on the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Assembly on Legislative Affairs, appoint a Children's Advocate.
2(2) Subject to subsection (3), the process for providing the recommendation is as follows:
(a) the President of the Executive Council must convene a meeting of the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs;
(b) the Standing Committee must consider candidates for the position of children's advocate and make a recommendation to the President of the Executive Council.
2(3) If the position of children's advocate is vacant, the meeting must be called within one month of the vacancy and the recommendation provided within the next five months. But if the position is expected to become vacant within six months, either because the term of office is scheduled to expire or the children's advocate has given notice of resignation, then the meeting must be called and the recommendation made before the term expires.
Officer of Assembly
3(1) The children's advocate is an officer of the Assembly.
3(2) The children's advocate may not hold any other public office or engage in any partisan political activity.
4(1) The children's advocate is to hold office for a term of five years.
4(2) The children's advocate may be re-appointed for a second term of five years but may not hold office for more than two five-year terms.
5(1) The children's advocate must be paid a salary fixed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and is entitled to the same privileges of office as a civil servant who is not covered by a collective agreement.
5(2) The salary of the children's advocate must not be reduced except on a resolution of the Assembly carried by a vote of 2/3 of the members voting in the Assembly.
5(3) The children's advocate must be reimbursed for reasonable travelling and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in carrying out his or her responsibilities.
6(1) The children's advocate and all persons employed under the children's advocate are employees within the meaning of The Civil Service Superannuation Act.
6(2) The children's advocate is not subject to The Civil Service Act.
6(3) The Civil Service Act applies to persons employed under the children's advocate.
7(1) The children's advocate may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Speaker of the Assembly or, if the Speaker is absent or there is no Speaker, to the Clerk of the Assembly.
7(2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may suspend or remove the children's advocate from office on a resolution of the Assembly carried by a vote of 2/3 of the members voting in the Assembly.
7(3) If the Assembly is not sitting, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may suspend the children's advocate for cause or incapacity, but the suspension must not continue beyond the end of the next session of the Legislature.
8(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may appoint an acting children's advocate if the office of children's advocate is vacant or if the children's advocate is suspended or is absent for an extended period because of illness or another reason.
Responsibilities of acting children's advocate
8(2) An acting children's advocate must carry out the responsibilities and may exercise the powers of the children's advocate.
8(3) An acting children's advocate holds office until a new children's advocate is appointed, or until the children's advocate returns to office after a suspension or extended absence.
Oath of office of children's advocate
9(1) Before beginning to carry out responsibilities or exercise powers under this Act, the children's advocate must take an oath before the Speaker or the Clerk of the Assembly to faithfully and impartially carry out the responsibilities of office and not to disclose any information received under this Act except as provided in this Act.
9(2) Every person employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate must, before beginning to carry out his or her responsibilities, take an oath before the children's advocate not to disclose any information received under this Act except as provided in this Act.
10(1) The children's advocate has the following responsibilities:
(c) to review, investigate and report on the critical injuries and deaths of children and young adults as set out in Part 4;
(d) to monitor the implementation of recommendations included in reports made under section 26 (investigation) or special reports made under section 30;
10(2) In carrying out the responsibilities under this Act, the children's advocate must give priority to those children and young adults who do not have others who can assist them to advocate with respect to designated services.
11(1) The children's advocate may take steps to raise awareness and understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the implementation of the Convention in Manitoba.
11(2) The children's advocate may take steps to raise awareness and understanding of the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
12 The children's advocate may advise a minister responsible for the provision of a designated service about any matter relating to that service that the children's advocate considers appropriate.
13(1) The children's advocate may, in writing, delegate to a person any responsibility or power of the children's advocate under this Act, except the power to make a report or to further delegate a responsibility or power.
Children's advocate may still exercise power
13(2) A delegation does not prevent the children's advocate from exercising the delegated responsibility or power at any time.
13(3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), if the children's advocate is in a conflict of interest concerning a matter, he or she may delegate in writing to any person any responsibility or power respecting the matter, including the power to make a report.
14 When, for the purpose of carrying out responsibilities under this Act, the children's advocate requests access to a place where children or young adults receive a designated service, the owner or person in charge of the place must provide access at a time when it is reasonable and safe to do so.
15 The children's advocate may not act as legal counsel.
16(1) If the children's advocate determines that it is necessary, the children's advocate may require a public body or other person to provide any information in its custody or under its control — including personal information and personal health information — necessary to enable the children's advocate to carry out responsibilities or exercise powers under this Act.
16(2) Despite any other enactment, the public body or other person must provide the children's advocate with the information the children's advocate requires.
16(3) Despite subsection (1), the children's advocate may not require information that is subject to a legal privilege, including solicitor-client privilege, the privilege respecting Cabinet confidences and the privilege in section 9 of The Manitoba Evidence Act (hospital, standards and critical incident review committees).
16(4) When conducting research under clause 10(1)(b), the children's advocate must not request personal information or personal health information if other information will serve the purpose of the research.
16(5) Information requested for research under clause 10(1)(b) is to be provided at the times and in the manner agreed on by the children's advocate and the public body or other person.
17(1) The children's advocate, and anyone employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate, must
17(2) The children's advocate, and anyone employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate, must not disclose personal information or potentially identifying information relating to the granting of an order of adoption under The Adoption Act.
18(1) The children's advocate, and anyone employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate, must ensure that any disclosure of personal information, personal health information or potentially identifying information
18(2) For certainty, subsection (1) applies during any review or investigation conducted under this Act and in relation to the making of any report under this Act.
REVIEWS AND INVESTIGATIONS OF CRITICAL INJURIES AND DEATHS
Jurisdiction to review — critical injury to child
19(1) The children's advocate may review a critical injury to a child who was receiving, or whose family was receiving, a reviewable service at the time of the injury or in the year before the injury.
Jurisdiction to review — critical injury to young adult
19(2) The children's advocate may review a critical injury to a young adult who was receiving services under subsection 50(2) (transition to independence) of The Child and Family Services Act at the time of the injury or in the year before the injury.
19(3) After receiving notice of the death of a child or young adult from the chief medical examiner under The Fatality Inquiries Act, the children's advocate may review
19(4) A review under this section may be conducted for the following purposes:
(a) to determine whether to investigate the critical injury or death under section 22;
Duty to report critical injury of child
20(1) After a government department or regional health authority responsible for the provision of a reviewable service becomes aware of a critical injury to a child for which a review may be conducted under subsection 19(1), it must provide information about the injury to the children's advocate.
Duty to report critical injury of young adult
20(2) After the government department responsible for the provision of services under The Child and Family Services Act becomes aware of a critical injury to a young adult for which a review may be conducted under subsection 19(2), it must provide information about the injury to the children's advocate.
20(3) For the purpose of this section, a government department or regional health authority may compile information relating to one or more critical injuries and provide it to the children's advocate at intervals agreed on by the children's advocate and the department or health authority.
20(4) The children's advocate must assess each report of a critical injury or death that he or she receives to determine if there is jurisdiction to review the injury or death under section 19 and whether a review is warranted.
21 If, after completing a review under section 19, the children's advocate decides not to investigate under section 22, the children's advocate may disclose the results of the review to
(c) any other person or entity the children's advocate considers appropriate to notify in the circumstances.
22(1) The children's advocate may investigate a critical injury or death of a child or young adult if, after completing a review under section 19, the children's advocate considers that
(a) a reviewable service, or related policies or practices, might have contributed to the critical injury or death; and
(b) the critical injury or death,
(i) in the case of a child, was or may have been due to one or more of the circumstances set out in section 17 (child in need of protection) of The Child and Family Services Act,
22(2) On deciding to investigate a critical injury or death under this Part, the children's advocate must notify
(e) any other person or entity the children's advocate considers appropriate to notify in the circumstances.
23 Despite section 22, this Act does not authorize the children's advocate to investigate a critical injury or death of a child or young adult
(a) until the completion of any criminal investigation and criminal court proceedings respecting the critical injury or death, unless the Attorney General or delegate gives the children's advocate written permission to proceed with an investigation;
(i) the investigation is completed and the chief medical examiner has, under section 19 of that Act, determined whether an inquest ought to be held,
(ii) the chief medical examiner gives the children's advocate written permission to proceed with an investigation,
(c) if, at the time of the critical injury or death, written procedures for investigating critical injuries or deaths are in place under another enactment, and an investigation is conducted, until the earliest of the following events:
(ii) the investigating body gives the children's advocate written permission to proceed with an investigation,
(iii) one year after the critical injury or death.
24 For the purpose of an investigation under this Part, the children's advocate may at any reasonable time enter and inspect any place where a reviewable service being investigated is or was provided.
25(1) For the purpose of an investigation under this Part and subject to subsection 16(3) (privileged information), the children's advocate may make one or both of the following orders:
(a) an order requiring a person to attend, personally or by electronic means, before the children's advocate to answer questions on oath or affirmation, or in any other manner;
(b) an order requiring a public body or other person to produce for the children's advocate a record or thing in the person's possession or under his or her control.
25(2) The children's advocate may apply to the Court of Queen's Bench for an order directing a person or public body to comply with an order made under subsection (1).
26(1) After investigating a critical injury or death of a child or young adult under this Part, the children's advocate must make a report on that injury or death.
26(2) A report must contain the reasons the children's advocate had for undertaking the investigation and his or her findings and may
(ii) any other public body or person the children's advocate considers appropriate; and
(b) address any other matters the children's advocate considers relevant.
26(3) The findings of the children's advocate must not contain any finding of legal responsibility.
26(4) A copy of the report must be given to
26(5) If the children's advocate considers it appropriate to do so, the advocate may provide a summary of the report to the child or young adult who is the subject of the report and to the child's parent or guardian.
REFERRALS FOR INVESTIGATION BY ASSEMBLY OR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL
27(1) A standing committee of the Assembly or the Lieutenant Governor in Council may refer a critical injury or death of a child or young adult to the children's advocate for investigation and report under this Part.
27(2) After receiving a referral, the children's advocate must investigate the critical injury or death so far as it is within the children's advocate's jurisdiction under this Part, and make a report to the standing committee or the Lieutenant Governor in Council as the children's advocate considers appropriate.
28(1) For the fiscal year beginning after the coming into force of this Act and for each fiscal year afterwards, the children's advocate must prepare a service plan that describes the goals of the children's advocate for the year and sets out specific objectives and performance measures.
28(2) The children's advocate must submit the service plan to the Speaker of the Assembly by November 30 of the year before the year to which the service plan relates.
Plan tabled in Assembly
28(3) The Speaker must table a copy of the service plan in the Assembly within 15 days after receiving it if the Assembly is sitting or, if it is not, within 15 days after the next sitting begins.
29(1) For each fiscal year, the children's advocate must prepare and submit to the Speaker of the Assembly an annual report on the carrying out of responsibilities and the exercise of powers under this Act.
29(2) Subject to section 31 (consent to disclosure), the annual report must include
(a) information on the work of the children's advocate during the year;
(b) information on the work of the children's advocate during the year with Indigenous children, young adults and their families;
(c) aggregate non-identifying information relating to the reviews and investigations conducted by the children's advocate during the year;
(d) a summary of recommendations included in any special report made under section 30 during the year; and
(e) information as to whether the goals and the specific objectives and performance measures of the children's advocate set out in the service plan prepared for the year have been met.
29(3) The annual report may include information as to the level of compliance with previous recommendations the children's advocate has made under this Act or a former Act.
29(4) The children's advocate must submit the annual report to the Speaker of the Assembly by November 30 of each year.
29(5) The Speaker must table a copy of the annual report in the Assembly within 15 days after receiving it if the Assembly is sitting or, if it is not, within 15 days after the next sitting begins.
29(6) The annual report stands referred to the Standing Committee of the Assembly on Legislative Affairs. The Committee must begin considering it within 60 days after it is tabled in the Assembly.
30(1) In order to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of designated services, the children's advocate may publish special reports.
30(2) Subject to section 31 (consent to disclosure), a special report may
(ii) any public body or other person providing a designated service that the children's advocate considers appropriate;
(b) refer to and comment on any matter the children's advocate has reviewed or investigated under Part 4; and
(c) include information the children's advocate considers necessary about any matter for which the children's advocate has responsibility under this Act.
Consent required to disclose personal information
31(1) In an annual or special report, the children's advocate must not disclose personal information, personal health information or potentially identifying information
(a) about a child or young adult, without the consent of the child or young adult or, in the case of a child who is incapable of giving consent, without the consent of the child's parent or guardian;
(b) about a child's parent or guardian, without the consent of the parent or guardian; or
(c) about any other individual, unless the children's advocate is of the opinion that the public interest in the disclosure outweighs the privacy interests of any individual whose information is disclosed.
Exception re publicly available information
31(2) Nothing in this section limits the ability of the children's advocate to disclose, in an annual or special report, information that has already been made public by other means.
Right to communicate with children's advocate
32(1) Every child or young adult who is receiving or is eligible to receive designated services has a right to communicate with the children's advocate.
32(2) If a child in a facility asks to communicate with the children's advocate, the person in charge of the facility must forward the request to the children's advocate or must assist the child to contact the children's advocate directly. The child is entitled to communicate with the children's advocate privately and in confidence.
32(3) The person in charge of a facility must inform each child placed there of the services offered by the children's advocate, the right to communicate in private with the children's advocate and how to contact the children's advocate.
32(4) In this section, "facility" means a facility or other place in which a child is placed under an Act of the province or under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada).
PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN'S ADVOCATE
33 No action or proceeding may be brought against the children's advocate, or anyone employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate, for anything done, or omitted to be done, in good faith, in the exercise or intended exercise of a responsibility or power under this Act.
Children's advocate and staff not compellable
34 The children's advocate, and anyone employed under or acting as a delegate of the children's advocate, must not be compelled to give evidence in a court or in a proceeding of a judicial nature with respect to anything coming to his or her knowledge in carrying out responsibilities or exercising powers under this Act except
35(1) No action or proceeding may be brought against a person by reason only of having complied with a request or requirement of the children's advocate to provide information, answer questions or produce a record or other thing under this Act.
35(2) The following information, records and reports are privileged and not admissible in evidence in an action or proceeding, except to enforce this Act or in a prosecution for perjury:
(a) anything said, any information given and any record produced during a review or investigation by the children's advocate under this Act;
(b) any report made after an investigation under section 26.
35(3) No person is guilty of an offence under another enactment by reason only of having complied with a request or requirement to provide information, answer questions or produce a record or other thing under this Act.
35(4) No person shall take adverse employment action against, or withhold services from, or otherwise discriminate against another person because the other person has complied with a request or requirement of the children's advocate to provide information, answer questions or produce a record or other thing under this Act.
36 Every person who
(a) wilfully obstructs, hinders, or resists the children's advocate or any other person carrying out responsibilities or exercising powers under this Act;
(b) refuses or wilfully fails to comply with a lawful requirement of the children's advocate or any other person under this Act;
(c) knowingly makes a false statement to or misleads or attempts to mislead the children's advocate or any other person carrying out responsibilities or exercising powers under this Act; or
(d) fails to comply with subsection 35(4) (no retaliatory action);
is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of not more than $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or both.
(d) for the purpose of Part 4, respecting the reporting of critical injuries to children and young adults to government departments or regional health authorities, including who must report and the manner and timing of reporting;
38(1) The Assembly may make general rules for the guidance of the children's advocate in carrying out responsibilities and exercising powers under this Act.
38(2) Subject to this Act and any rules made under subsection (1), the children's advocate may determine his or her procedure.
39 Within five years after this Act comes into force, a committee of the Assembly must begin a comprehensive review of the operation of this Act and must, within one year after beginning the review, submit a report to the Assembly that includes any amendments to this Act recommended by the committee.
Transitional — definition of "former Act"
40(1) In this section, "former Act" means The Child and Family Services Act as it read immediately before the coming into force of this Act.
40(2) The children's advocate appointed under the former Act continues in office as the children's advocate under this Act as if appointed under this Act, but for a term that expires on the day the appointment under the former Act would expire.
40(3) Any review of a child's death that was required under the former Act but not completed on the day this Act comes into force is to be dealt with according to the provisions of this Act, and the children's advocate has discretion under Part 4 of this Act as to whether to conduct the review or not.
40(4) The Ombudsman's duty to monitor and report on the implementation of the children's advocate's recommendations under section 16.1 of The Ombudsman Act ceases on the coming into force of this Act.
40(5) Any records maintained by the Ombudsman for the last year in which the Ombudsman had a monitoring and reporting duty under section 16.1 of The Ombudsman Act must be transferred to the children's advocate.
41(1) The Adoption Act is amended by this section.
41(2) The definition "children's advocate" in subsection 1(1) is repealed.
41(3) Section 8 is repealed.
42(1) The Child and Family Services Act is amended by this section.
42(2) The definition "children's advocate" in subsection 1(1) is replaced with the following:
"children's advocate" means the Children's Advocate appointed under The Children's Advocate Act; (« protecteur des enfants »)
42(3) Subsection 2(1) is amended in the part before clause (a) by striking out "the children's advocate,".
42(4) Part I.1 (Children's Advocate) is repealed.
42(5) Clause 76(3)(d.2) is amended by striking out "under section 8.10".
43 Section 10 of The Fatality Inquiries Act is replaced with the following:
Death of child or young adult reported to children's advocate
10(1) Upon learning that a child or a young adult under 21 years of age has died in Manitoba, the chief medical examiner must notify the children's advocate of the death.
10(2) If the children's advocate has jurisdiction to review the death of a child or young adult under Part 4 of The Children's Advocate Act, the chief medical examiner must provide to the children's advocate, upon request,
44 Clause 32(1)(c) of The Mental Health Act is amended by adding "and, if the patient is a child, the children's advocate" at the end.
45 Section 16.1 of The Ombudsman Act is repealed.
46 This Act may be referred to as chapter C99 of the Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba.
47 This Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation.
This Bill creates a new stand-alone Children's Advocate Act in response to the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair.
Under this Bill, the Children's Advocate continues to provide advocacy services for children who are receiving services under The Child and Family Services Act or The Adoption Act. The Children's Advocate will be able to provide advocacy services for children receiving or eligible to receive certain publicly funded services, such as
disability services funded by Manitoba Families;
early childhood development and child care services;
educational programming for children in care who need an individual education plan;
mental health and addiction services provided by government and health care facilities; and
criminal justice services for children in custody or under supervision.
The Children's Advocate may give priority to those children who do not have anyone else to advocate on their behalf.
In addition, the Children's Advocate may advocate for young adults between 18 and 21 who, as children, received services under The Child and Family Services Act and are now eligible to receive any of the following publicly funded services:
Under current legislation, when a child in the care of child and family services dies, the Children's Advocate must review publicly funded services provided to that child.
To assist in improving the effectiveness and responsiveness of publicly funded services for children, this Bill gives the Children's Advocate broad discretion to review and investigate a critical injury or death of a child who was receiving any of the following services at the time of the injury or death, or in the year preceding it:
The Children's Advocate may also review and investigate a critical injury or death of a young adult who was a former permanent ward receiving transition child and family services.
In addition to the annual report required by current legislation, the Children's Advocate must publish a service plan that describes the Advocate's goals for the year and includes specific objectives and performance measures.
The Children's Advocate may publish special reports to assist in making services for children and young adults more effective and responsive.
This Bill makes consequential amendments to other Acts, including The Child and Family Services Act, The Adoption Act and The Ombudsman Act.