Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to appear before committee today to review Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act, No. 2. We are here to propose a change to this act to ensure that NWT residents are not affected by a change in terminology.
The current Human Rights Act establishes various prohibited grounds of discrimination including a conviction for which a pardon has been granted. The proposed changes have become necessary as a consequence of the Government of Canada’s Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which received assent on March 13, 2012. That omnibus bill amended the Criminal Records Act to set up a new system which replaces the use of pardons, in most instances, with record suspensions. The Canadian Human Rights Act has already been amended by the federal legislation to include a prohibition of discrimination based on a conviction for which a record suspension has been ordered. This proposed amendment to our territorial Human Rights Act will also prohibit discrimination based on an operative record suspension in addition to the existing prohibition pertaining to a pardoned conviction.
The process for obtaining a record suspension is nearly identical to the previous process for obtaining pardon. This proposed amendment will serve to ensure that NWT residents who received a record suspension will be protected against discrimination to the same extent as those who have received a pardon.
I am pleased to respond to any questions that committee may have.