Military Police Stop Accepting Sexual Offence Complaints
Starting Monday, military police will no longer handle Criminal Code sexual offences. Cases will move to the civilian justice system under Bill C-11.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Military police across Canada stopped accepting Criminal Code sexual offence complaints on Monday, June 15, as the Liberal government's military justice system reform bill takes effect.
Bill C-11 strips the military of jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute sexual offences involving Canadian Armed Forces members committed within the country, handing those cases over to civilian police and courts instead.
The reform follows recommendations from former Supreme Court justices Morris Fish and Louise Arbour, the current Governor General. Arbour concluded in a 2022 report that CAF members do not trust their own military justice system to handle sexual assault cases.
Opposition MPs had modified the legislation to allow service members to choose between the military or civilian system. The Liberals removed those amendments after gaining a House majority.