| Short Title: | An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) |
| Legislature: | Parliament of Canada |
| Long Title: | An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) |
| Citation: | SC 2012, c 15 |
| Territorial Extent: | Canada |
| Enacted By: | Parliament of Canada |
| Royal Assent: | June 28, 2012 |
| Bill Citation: | Bill C-310 |
| Introduced By: | Joy Smith |
| 1St Reading: | October 3, 2011 (House of Commons) |
| 2Nd Reading: | December 12, 2011 (House of Commons) |
| 3Rd Reading: | April 27, 2012 (House of Commons) |
| 1St Reading2: | May 1, 2012 (Senate) |
| 2Nd Reading2: | May 15, 2012 (Senate) |
| 3Rd Reading2: | June 22, 2012 (Senate) |
| Summary: | Enables the Government of Canada to prosecute Canadians for trafficking in persons while outside of Canada |
| Keywords: | Human trafficking |
| Status: | in force |
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) (French: Loi modifiant le Code criminel (traite des personnes), commonly known as Bill C-310) is a statute passed by the Canadian Parliament in 2012.[1] It amended the Criminal Code to enable the Government of Canada to prosecute Canadians for trafficking in persons while outside of Canada.[2]
Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan—St. Paul in Manitoba, introduced Bill C-310 as a private member's bill in the fall of 2011. Smith hoped that the bill would help combat human trafficking globally in a way that could not be accomplished by simply addressing issues relating to border control and immigration to Canada.[3] The first reading of the bill took place on October 3 of that year during the 41st Canadian Parliament.[4] Although private member's bills rarely are enacted, Bill C-310 was passed by Parliament and received royal assent on June 28, 2012.
During debates in the House of Commons on the bill, it received broad support across party lines.[5]
On April 27, 2012, the bill was sent to the Senate with unanimous support from MPs.[4] [6] That June, UNICEF Canada submitted a brief to the Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs relating to Bill C-310.[7] On June 22, 2012, the bill passed third reading in the Senate, and then royal assent on June 28, 2012.[4] [8]
A year later, on May 6, 2013, Naomi Krueger of The Salvation Army appeared as a witness at before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Krueger was the manager of Deborah's Gate, a safe house for human trafficking victims run by the Salvation Army in Vancouver, British Columbia. She testified to the Committee that Bill C-310 "created opportunities to better support ... the victims whom we serve on a day-to-day basis at Deborah's Gate."[9]