Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9)

Offences under Division 1.1 of Part 18 (Regulated Fundraising Events)

Marginal note:Strict liability offences — summary conviction

497.01 Every person is guilty of an offence who

• (a) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 384.2(1) or (4) (failure to publish information about regulated fundraising event);

• (b) being a person or entity, contravenes subsection 384.2(3) (failure to provide information about regulated fundraising event);

• (b.1) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 384.2(4.1) (failure to notify Chief Electoral Officer of regulated fundraising event);

• (c) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 384.2(5) or (7) (failure to replace old information about regulated fundraising event on its Internet site);

• (d) being a person or entity, contravenes subsection 384.2(6) (failure to provide new information about regulated fundraising event);

• (e) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 384.3(1), (6) or (6.1) (failure to provide report on regulated fundraising event);

• (f) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 384.3(3) (including prohibited name or address in report on regulated fundraising event);

• (g) being a person or entity, contravenes subsection 384.3(4), (4.1), (9) or (9.1) (failure to provide information about regulated fundraising event);

• (h) being a person or entity, contravenes subsection 384.3(5) or (10) (including prohibited name or address in information about regulated fundraising event);

• (i) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 384.3(8) or (8.1) (failure to provide report on all regulated fundraising events);

• (j) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 384.3(12) (including prohibited name or address in report on all regulated fundraising events);

• (k) being the chief agent of a registered party, the financial agent of a registered association, the official agent of a candidate or the financial agent of a nomination contestant or leadership contestant, contravenes section 384.4 (failure to return or pay amount of contribution); or

• (l) being a chief agent or the leader of a registered party, contravenes subsection 384.7(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised report within 30-day period or any extension of that period).

Offences under Division 2 of Part 18 (Political Parties)

Marginal note:Strict liability offences — summary conviction

• 497.1 (1) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a registered party, contravenes section 392 (failure to provide statement of assets and liabilities or related documents);

  • (b) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 396(2) or, being a registered party or an eligible party, contravenes subsection 395(4), section 399, subsection 400(1) or (2) or section 401 (failure to comply with requirements re: officers, chief agent, registered agents or auditor);

  • (c) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 405(1) or (4) (failure to report changes to registered party information);

  • (d) being a registered party, contravenes section 407 (failure to confirm validity of information on party);

  • (e) being a chief agent of a deregistered political party, contravenes section 420 (failure to provide financial transactions return or election expenses return or related documents);

  • (f) being a chief agent of a merging registered party, contravenes section 424 (failure to provide financial transactions return or related documents);

  • (g) being a chief agent, contravenes section 428 (failure to pay recoverable claim within three years);

  • (g.1) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 429.2(1) (exceeding partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (g.2) being a registered party, contravenes subsection 429.2(2) (circumventing partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (g.3) being a third party, contravenes subsection 429.2(3) (colluding to circumvent partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (g.4) being a registered party or a person acting on behalf of a registered party, contravenes section 429.3 (failure to indicate authority for partisan advertising);

  • (h) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 431(1) (exceeding election expenses limit);

  • (h.1) being a third party, contravenes subsection 431(2) (colluding to circumvent election expenses limit);

  • (i) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 432(1), (2), (3) or (5) (failure to provide financial transactions return or related documents);

  • (j) being a chief agent, contravenes section 433 (failure to provide quarterly return);

  • (k) being a registered agent, contravenes section 434 (failure to pay excess contributions);

  • (l) being a chief agent, contravenes paragraph 436(b) (providing document that is substantially incomplete);

  • (m) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 437(1), (2) or (3) (failure to provide election expenses return or related documents);

  • (n) being a chief agent, contravenes paragraph 439(b) (providing document that is substantially incomplete);

  • (o) being a chief agent, contravenes subsection 440(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period);

  • (p) being a chief agent or the leader of a registered party, contravenes subsection 442(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period); or

  • (q) being the chief executive officer of a provincial division, contravenes subsection 446(5) (failure to report provincial division changes).

• Marginal note:Offences requiring intent — summary conviction

  (2) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a person or entity other than a registered agent or a person authorized under subsection 381(1), knowingly contravenes subsection 426(1) or (2) (paying or incurring registered party’s expenses);

  • (b) being a person or entity other than a registered agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 426(3) (accepting contributions or borrowing while ineligible); or

  • (c) being a person or entity other than a registered agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 426(4) (while ineligible, accepting provision of goods or services or transfer of funds or providing goods or services or transferring funds).

• Marginal note:Offences requiring intent — dual procedure

  (3) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a registered party, knowingly contravenes section 392 (failure to provide statement of assets and liabilities or related documents);

  • (b) knowingly contravenes subsection 403(1), (2) or (3) (ineligible person acting as officer, chief agent, registered agent or auditor);

  • (c) being an officer of a party, contravenes section 404 (officer knowing party not a political party);

  • (d) being a leader of a party, contravenes subsection 408(1), (3) or (4) (providing or certifying false or misleading information or making false or misleading declaration);

  • (e) being a registered party or an eligible party, contravenes subsection 408(2) (providing false or misleading information);

  • (f) contravenes subsection 408(5) (making false or misleading declaration);

  • (g) being a chief agent of a deregistered political party, knowingly contravenes section 420 (failure to provide transactions return or election expenses return or related documents);

  • (h) being a chief agent of a merging registered party, knowingly contravenes section 424 (failure to provide financial transactions returns or related documents);

  • (h.1) being a registered agent other than the chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 426(2.1) (failure to obtain written authorization to incur registered party’s expenses or incurring them contrary to authorization);

  • (h.2) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 429.2(1) (exceeding partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (h.3) being a registered party, knowingly contravenes subsection 429.2(2) (circumventing partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (h.4) being a third party, knowingly contravenes subsection 429.2(3) (colluding to circumvent partisan advertising expenses limit);

  • (i) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 431(1) (exceeding election expenses limit);

  • (j) being a registered party or a third party, knowingly contravenes subsection 431(2) (colluding to circumvent election expense limit);

  • (k) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 432(1), (2), (3) or (5) (failure to provide financial transactions return or related documents);

  • (l) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes section 433 (failure to provide quarterly return);

  • (m) being a registered agent, knowingly contravenes section 434 (failure to pay excess contributions);

  • (n) being a chief agent, contravenes paragraph 436(a) (providing document that contains false or misleading information);

  • (o) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 437(1), (2) or (3) (failure to provide election expenses return or related documents);

  • (p) being a chief agent, contravenes paragraph 439(a) (providing document that contains false or misleading information);

  • (q) being a chief agent, knowingly contravenes subsection 440(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period); or

  • (r) being a chief agent or the leader of a registered party, knowingly contravenes subsection 442(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period).

Offences under Division 3 of Part 18 (Electoral District Associations)

Marginal note:Strict liability offences — summary conviction

• 497.2 (1) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being an electoral district association of a registered party, contravenes section 447 (financial activity while unregistered);

  • (a.1) being an electoral district association of a registered party, contravenes subsection 449.1(1) (incurring certain partisan advertising expenses or, during a pre-election period, transmitting certain partisan advertising messages);

  • (a.2) being a registered association, contravenes section 449.2 (failure to indicate authority for partisan advertising);

  • (b) being an electoral district association of a registered party, contravenes subsection 450(1) (incurring election expenses);

  • (c) being a registered association, contravenes section 451 (failure to provide statement of assets and liabilities or related documents);

  • (d) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes section 452 (making erroneous declaration);

  • (e) being a registered association, contravenes subsection 456(2) (failure to comply with requirements re: appointment of electoral district agent);

  • (f) being a registered association, contravenes section 459, 460 or 461 (failure to comply with requirements re: appointment of financial agent or auditor);

  • (g) being a registered association, contravenes subsection 463(1) (failure to report changes to registered association information);

  • (h) being a registered association, contravenes section 464 (failure to confirm validity of information concerning association);

  • (i) being the financial agent of a deregistered electoral district association, contravenes section 473 (failure to provide financial transactions return for fiscal period or related documents);

  • (j) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes section 475.2 (failure to pay recoverable claim within three years);

  • (k) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes subsection 475.4(1), (2), (3) or (5) (failure to provide financial transactions return or related documents);

  • (l) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes section 475.5 (failure to pay excess contributions);

  • (m) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes paragraph 475.7(b) (providing document that is substantially incomplete);

  • (n) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes subsection 475.9(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period); or

  • (o) being the financial agent or the chief executive officer of a registered association, contravenes subsection 475.92(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period).

• Marginal note:Offences requiring intent — summary conviction

  (2) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a person or entity other than an electoral district agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475(1) or (2) (paying or incurring registered association’s expenses while ineligible);

  • (b) being a person or entity other than an electoral district agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475(3) (accepting contributions while ineligible); or

  • (c) being a person or entity other than the financial agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475(4) (while ineligible, accepting provision of goods or services or transfer of funds or providing goods or services or transferring funds).

• Marginal note:Offences requiring intent — dual procedure

  (3) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being an electoral district association, knowingly contravenes section 447 (financial activity while unregistered);

  • (a.1) being an electoral district association of a registered party, knowingly contravenes subsection 449.1(1) (incurring certain partisan advertising expenses or, during a pre-election period, transmitting certain partisan advertising messages);

  • (b) being an electoral district association of a registered party, knowingly contravenes subsection 450(1) (incurring election expenses);

  • (c) being a registered association, knowingly contravenes section 451 (failure to provide statement of assets and liabilities or related documents);

  • (d) being the financial agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes section 452 (making erroneous declaration);

  • (e) being a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 456(2) (failure to comply with requirements re: appointment of electoral district agent);

  • (f) being a person, knowingly contravenes subsection 462(1) or (2) (acting as financial agent, electoral district agent or auditor when ineligible to do so);

  • (g) being the financial agent of a deregistered electoral district association, knowingly contravenes section 473 (failure to provide financial transactions return for fiscal period or related documents);

  • (h) being the financial agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475.4(1), (2), (3) or (5) (failure to provide financial transactions return or related documents);

  • (i) being the financial agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes section 475.5 (failure to pay excess contributions);

  • (j) being the financial agent of a registered association, contravenes paragraph 475.7(a) (providing document that contains false or misleading information);

  • (k) being the financial agent of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475.9(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period); or

  • (l) being the financial agent or chief executive officer of a registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 475.92(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period).

Offences under Division 4 of Part 18 (Nomination Contestants)

Marginal note:Strict liability offences — summary conviction

• 497.3 (1) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a registered party or registered association, contravenes subsection 476.1(1) (failure to notify of nomination contest);

  • (b) being a nomination contestant, contravenes section 476.3 (failure to appoint financial agent);

  • (c) being a nomination contestant, contravenes section 476.5, 476.6 or 476.61 (failure to comply with requirements re: appointment of financial agent);

  • (d) being a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.63(1) or (2) (failure to report changes in nomination contestant information);

  • (e) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes section 476.65 (failure to satisfy bank account requirements);

  • (f) being a nomination contestant or the financial agent of one, contravenes subsection 476.68(1) (exceeding nomination contest expenses limit);

  • (g) being a nomination contestant or the financial agent of one, contravenes subsection 476.7(1) or (2) (failure to pay recoverable claim within three years or paying without authorization);

  • (h) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.75(1), (2), (5) or (7) (failure to provide nomination campaign return or related documents);

  • (i) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, fails to comply with a requirement of the Chief Electoral Officer under subsection 476.75(4);

  • (j) being a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.75(8) (failure to send declaration re: nomination campaign return to financial agent) or subsection 476.81(1) (failure to provide Chief Electoral Officer with declaration re: nomination campaign ret­urn);

  • (k) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.75(10) or (15) (failure to provide report on payment of claim);

  • (l) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.75(11) or (12) (failure to provide updated version of statement of unpaid claims);

  • (m) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, fails to comply with a requirement of the Chief Electoral Officer under subsection 476.75(14);

  • (n) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes section 476.76 (failure to pay the value of contributions that cannot be returned);

  • (o) being a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.77(1) (failure to appoint auditor);

  • (p) being a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.77(4) or (5) or section 476.78 (failure to comply with requirements re: appointment of auditor);

  • (p.1) being a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.82(1) or (3) (failure to send written statement or advise financial agent);

  • (q) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.83(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period);

  • (r) being a nomination contestant or the financial agent of one, contravenes subsection 476.85(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period);

  • (s) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes paragraph 476.9(b) (providing document that is substantially incomplete); or

  • (t) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes subsection 476.92(2) or (3) or section 476.93 (failure to dispose of surplus nomination campaign funds).

• Marginal note:Offences requiring intent — dual procedure

  (2) Every person is guilty of an offence who

  • (a) being a registered party or registered association, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.1(1) (failure to notify of nomination contest);

  • (b) being a person, knowingly contravenes section 476.62 (acting as financial agent when ineligible to do so);

  • (c) being a person or entity other than the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.66(1) (acceptance of contribution while ineligible);

  • (d) being a person or entity other than the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.66(2) (while ineligible, accepting provision of goods or services or transfer of funds or transferring funds);

  • (e) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.66(3) (accepting prohibited contribution);

  • (f) being a person or entity, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.66(4), (5) or (6) (paying or incurring nomination campaign expenses while ineligible);

  • (g) being a nomination contestant or the financial agent of one, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.68(1) (exceeding nomination contest expenses limit);

  • (h) being a person or entity, contravenes subsection 476.68(2) (circumventing nomination contest expenses limit);

  • (i) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.75(1), (2), (5) or (7) (failure to provide nomination campaign return or related documents);

  • (j) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly fails to comply with a requirement of the Chief Electoral Officer under subsection 476.75(4);

  • (k) being a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.75(8) (failure to send declaration re: nomination campaign return to financial agent) or subsection 476.81(1) (failure to provide Chief Electoral Officer with declaration re: nomination campaign return);

  • (l) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.75(10) or (15) (failure to provide report on payment of claim);

  • (m) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.75(11) or (12) (failure to provide updated version of statement of unpaid claims);

  • (n) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly fails to comply with a requirement of the Chief Electoral Officer under subsection 476.75(14);

  • (o) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes section 476.76 (failure to pay the value of contributions that cannot be returned);

  • (p) being a person, knowingly contravenes section 476.79 (acting as auditor when ineligible to do so);

  • (q) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.83(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within specified period);

  • (r) being a nomination contestant or the financial agent of one, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.85(3) (failure to provide corrected or revised document within 30-day period or any extension of that period);

  • (r.1) being a nomination contestant, contravenes section 476.891 (sending false or misleading declaration);

  • (s) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, contravenes paragraph 476.9(a) or knowingly contravenes paragraph 476.9(b) (providing document that contains false or misleading information or that is substantially incomplete); or

  • (t) being the financial agent of a nomination contestant, knowingly contravenes subsection 476.92(2) or (3) or section 476.93 (failure to dispose of surplus nomination campaign funds).