I am pleased to be here today to speak about Bill 18, Apology Act. I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for their review of this bill.
This legislation would make an apology or expression of sympathy made by or on behalf of a person inadmissible as evidence of fault or liability in any judicial or quasi-judicial civil proceeding. Nine Canadian jurisdictions have enacted similar legislation.
In the absence of this legislation, people are unsure of the legal consequences of taking the natural human step of making an apology. They fear that an apology can be considered as an admission of guilt, thereby voiding an insurance policy or encouraging a lawsuit.
However, apologies have been called the “key to healing.” An apology has the power to heal wounds and restore a victim’s dignity. A 1999 report by the Law Commission of Canada found that people who have suffered loss, injury or damage were driven by the desire to heal, as opposed to making compensatory claims.
I would be pleased to answer questions that committee members may have regarding Bill 18.