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Assisted Human Reproduction Act (S.C. 2004, c. 2)

Act current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2020-06-09. Previous Versions

Administration and Enforcement (continued)

Marginal note:Search and seizure under warrant

  •  (1) An inspector is a public officer for the purposes of the application of section 487 of the Criminal Code in respect of an offence under this Act.

  • Marginal note:Where warrant not necessary

    (2) An inspector may exercise without a warrant any of the powers conferred by virtue of subsection (1) if the conditions for obtaining a warrant exist but, by reason of exigent circumstances, it would not be practicable to obtain a warrant.

Marginal note:Maintaining viable gametes and embryos

 The designated officer, as defined in the regulations, shall make reasonable efforts to preserve any viable sperm, ovum or in vitro embryo that is seized under this Act or the Criminal Code. Any further measures shall be consistent with the consent of the donor or, if the consent cannot be obtained, shall be in accordance with the regulations.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 54
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 732

Marginal note:Designation of analysts

 The Minister may designate any person as an analyst for the purpose of the administration and enforcement of this Act.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 55
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 732

Marginal note:Analysis and examination

  •  (1) An inspector may submit to an analyst, for analysis or examination, any material or information seized by the inspector.

  • Marginal note:Certificate or report

    (2) An analyst who has made an analysis or examination may issue a certificate or report setting out the results of the analysis or examination.

Marginal note:Certificate of analyst

  •  (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), in any prosecution for an offence under this Act, a certificate purporting to be signed by an analyst, stating that any material or information has been analysed or examined by the analyst and stating the results of the analysis or examination, is admissible in evidence and, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, is proof of the statements contained in the certificate without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed it.

  • Marginal note:Requiring attendance of analyst

    (2) The party against whom a certificate of an analyst is produced under subsection (1) may, with leave of the court, require the attendance of the analyst for the purpose of cross-examination.

  • Marginal note:Notice of intention to produce certificate

    (3) No certificate shall be admitted in evidence under subsection (1) unless, before the trial, the party intending to produce the certificate has given reasonable notice of that intention, together with a copy of the certificate, to the party against whom it is intended to be produced.

Marginal note:Agreements for enforcement

 The Minister may enter into agreements with any department or agency of the government of Canada or of a province or with any law enforcement agency with respect to the administration and enforcement of this Act.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 58
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 733

 [Repealed before coming into force, 2012, c. 19, s. 733]

Offences

Marginal note:Offence and punishment

 A person who contravenes any of sections 5 to 7 and 9 is guilty of an offence and

  • (a) is liable, on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding $500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or to both; or

  • (b) is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years, or to both.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 60
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 734

Marginal note:Offence and punishment

 A person who contravenes any provision of this Act — other than any of sections 5 to 7 and 9 — or of the regulations or an order made under subsection 44(1) is guilty of an offence and

  • (a) is liable, on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding $250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both; or

  • (b) is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 61
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 735

Marginal note:Court orders

 A court that imposes a fine or term of imprisonment on a person in respect of an offence under this Act may

  • (a) order the forfeiture and disposition, subject to section 54, of any material or information by means of which or in relation to which the offence was committed; or

  • (b) on application by the Attorney General of Canada, order the person not to engage in any activity that, in the court’s opinion, may lead to the commission of an offence under this Act.

Marginal note:Consent of Attorney General

 A prosecution for an offence under this Act may not be instituted except with the consent of the Attorney General of Canada.

Marginal note:Notice to interested authorities

 The Minister may notify any interested authority, such as a professional licensing or disciplinary body established under the laws of Canada or a province, of the identity of a person who is charged with an offence under this Act or who there are reasonable grounds to believe may have acted in breach of any professional code of conduct.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 64
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 736

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations of Governor in Council

  •  (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations for carrying into effect the purposes and provisions of this Act and, in particular, may make regulations

    • (a) defining donor, in relation to an in vitro embryo;

    • (b) for the purposes of section 8, respecting the giving of consent for the use of human reproductive material or an in vitro embryo or for the removal of human reproductive material;

    • (c) respecting the tests to be conducted in respect of sperm and ova described in any of paragraphs 10(2)(a) to (c), and the obtaining, preparation, preservation, quarantining, identification, labelling and storage of, and the assessment of the quality of, the sperm and ova;

    • (d) respecting the testing and screening of, and the assessment of the suitability of, donors described in paragraph 10(3)(b);

    • (d.1) respecting the disposition of sperm and ova described in any of paragraphs 10(2)(a) to (c);

    • (d.2) respecting the tracing of sperm and ova described in any of paragraphs 10(2)(a) to (c), including regulations that require

      • (i) measures to be taken to identify persons who have distributed, made use of or imported the sperm or ova for the purpose of assisted human reproduction, or who are storing any of them for that purpose,

      • (ii) the communication of information to the persons referred to in subparagraph (i), to the donors of the sperm and ova and to the persons who have undergone assisted human reproduction procedures in which the sperm or ova were used,

      • (iii) measures to be taken to determine the nature, cause and extent of the risks to human health and safety, and

      • (iv) measures to be taken in respect of the sperm and ova to reduce those risks;

    • (d.3) respecting the reporting to the Minister of information with respect to an activity described in section 10;

    • (e) respecting the reimbursement of expenditures for the purposes of subsection 12(1), including providing for the expenditures that may be reimbursed;

    • (e.1) for the purposes of subsection 12(3), respecting the reimbursement of a loss of income;

    • (f) to (m) [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 737]

    • (n) respecting the creation and maintenance of records by any person who

      • (i) engages in an activity for which written consent is required under section 8,

      • (ii) engages in an activity described in section 10, or

      • (iii) makes a reimbursement under section 12;

    • (o) to (q) [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 737]

    • (r) authorizing the Minister, in the manner set out in the regulations, to require any person described in paragraph (n) to provide to the Minister any records that the person is required by the regulations to create or maintain, and any additional information related to the activity described in subparagraph (n)(i), (ii) or (iii), and requiring that person to provide to the Minister those records and that information within the time and in the manner set out in the regulations;

    • (s) to (w) [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 737]

    • (x) respecting the treatment and disposition of material or information seized under this Act or the Criminal Code;

    • (y) for the purposes of subsection 51(1), prescribing the information to be contained in the notice and the time and manner of sending it;

    • (z) respecting the further measures referred to in section 54;

    • (z.1) respecting the giving of consent for the purposes of section 54;

    • (z.2) defining designated officer for the purposes of subsection 52(3) and section 54;

    • (z.3) exempting any person from the application of section 10, conditionally or unconditionally, in the circumstances provided for in the regulations; and

    • (z.4) exempting from the application of subsection 12(2), conditionally or unconditionally, in the circumstances provided for in the regulations, any person who reimburses expenditures referred to in the regulations.

  • Marginal note:Incorporation by reference

    (2) The regulations may incorporate any document by reference, regardless of its source, either as it reads on a particular date or as it is amended from time to time.

  • Marginal note:Documents in one language

    (3) Where a document that is available in both official languages has been incorporated by reference as amended from time to time, an amendment to one language version of that document is not incorporated until the corresponding amendment is made to the other language version.

  • Marginal note:Statutory Instruments Act

    (4) A document does not become a regulation within the meaning of the Statutory Instruments Act merely because it is incorporated by reference.

  • 2004, c. 2, s. 65
  • 2012, c. 19, s. 737

Marginal note:Proposed regulations to be laid before Parliament

  •  (1) Before a regulation is made under section 65, the Minister shall lay the proposed regulation before each House of Parliament.

  • Marginal note:Report by committee

    (2) A proposed regulation that is laid before Parliament shall be referred to the appropriate committee of each House, as determined by the rules of that House, and the committee may review the proposed regulation and report its findings to the House.

  • Marginal note:Standing Committee on Health

    (2.1) The committee of the House of Commons referred to in subsection (2) shall be the Standing Committee on Health or, in the event that there is not a Standing Committee on Health, the appropriate committee of the House.

  • Marginal note:Making of regulations

    (3) A regulation may not be made before the earliest of

    • (a) 30 sitting days after the proposed regulation is laid before Parliament,

    • (b) 160 calendar days after the proposed regulation is laid before Parliament, and

    • (c) the day after the appropriate committee of each House of Parliament has reported its findings with respect to the proposed regulation.

  • Marginal note:Explanation

    (4) The Minister shall take into account any report of the committee of either House. If a regulation does not incorporate a recommendation of the committee of either House, the Minister shall lay before that House a statement of the reasons for not incorporating it.

  • Marginal note:Alteration

    (5) A proposed regulation that has been laid before Parliament need not again be so laid prior to the making of the regulation, whether it has been altered or not.

Marginal note:Exceptions

  •  (1) A regulation may be made without being laid before either House of Parliament if the Minister is of the opinion that

    • (a) the changes made by the regulation to an existing regulation are so immaterial or insubstantial that section 66 should not apply in the circumstances; or

    • (b) the regulation must be made immediately in order to protect the health or safety of any person.

  • Marginal note:Notice of opinion

    (2) If a regulation is made without being laid before Parliament, the Minister shall lay before each House of Parliament a statement of the Minister’s reasons.

 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 738]

 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 738]

 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 738]

 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 738]

Consequential Amendments

Access to Information Act

 [Amendment]

 [Amendment]

Financial Administration Act

 [Amendment]

Privacy Act

 [Amendment]

 [Repealed before coming into force, 2012, c. 19, s. 739]

Public Service Superannuation Act

 [Amendment]

Coming into Force

Marginal note:Order of Governor in Council

Footnote * The provisions of this Act come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.

  • Return to footnote *[Note: Act, other than sections 8, 12, 14 to 19, 21 to 59, 72 and 74 to 77, in force April 22, 2004, see SI/2004-49; sections 21 to 24, other than paragraphs 24(1)(a), (e) and (g), sections 25 to 39, 72, 74, 75 and 77 in force January 12, 2006, see SI/2005-42; section 8 in force December 1, 2007, see SI/2007-67; section 44 in force June 29, 2012, see 2012, c. 19, s. 740; sections 45 to 58 in force June 9, 2019, section 12 in force June 9, 2020, see SI/2019-38.]

 

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