I have a return to a written question asked by Mr. Hawkins on March 24, 2004, regarding the sex offender registry.
On April 1, 2004, Bill C-16, the federal Sex Offender Information Registration Act, received assent in Parliament. This act will require that information on sex offenders in all provinces and territories is registered and kept in a national database maintained by the RCMP. This information will be used by police services across the country to investigate crimes of a sexual nature.
Officials from the Department of Justice participated in the national working group that examined the need for a sex offender registry. All governments, including the NWT, approved the national registry model at the 2002 meeting of Ministers responsible for Justice.
Although an implementation date has not yet been finalized, representation from the Department of Justice, the RCMP and Justice Canada have already formed a working group to prepare for implementing the act in the NWT. In the NWT, the RCMP will administer and enforce the registration of offenders, the Government of the Northwest Territories will designate registration centres, and Justice Canada will apply for orders and prosecute offences under the act.
The national system is similar to that in place in Ontario. Both were established to register information on sex offenders to be used in the investigation of crimes of a sexual nature. Ontario will be rationalizing its system to conform to the national legislation.