Tracing of assets - national proceedings

Canada

Canada - Criminal Code 1985 (2017) EN/FR

Criminal Code of Canada

PART XV- SPECIAL PROCEDURE AND POWERS

GENERAL POWERS OF CERTAIN OFFICIALS

487.013 (1) A justice or judge may order a financial institution, as defined in section 2 of
the Bank Act, or a person or entity referred to in section 5 of the Proceeds of Crime (Money
Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, unless they are under investigation for an offence
referred to in paragraph (4)(a), to produce in writing the account number of a person named
in the order or the name of a person whose account number is specified in the order, the status
and type of the account, and the date on which it was opened or closed.

(2) For the purpose of confirming the identity of the person named in the order or whose account number is specified in the order, the production order may require the financial institution, person or entity to produce that person’s date of birth, current address and any previous addresses.

(3) The order shall require the information to be produced within the time, at the place and
in the form specified and given

(a) to a peace officer named in the order; or

(b) to a public officer named in the order, who has been appointed or designated to administer
or enforce a federal or provincial law and whose duties include the enforcement of this or any other Act of Parliament.

(4) Before making an order, the justice or judge must be satisfied, on the basis of an ex parte application containing information on oath in writing, that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that

(a) an offence against this Act or any other Act of Parliament has been or will be committed;

(b) the information will assist in the investigation of the offence; and

(c) the institution, person or entity that is subject to the order has possession or control of the information.

(5) The order may contain any terms and conditions that the justice or judge considers advisable in the circumstances, including terms and conditions to protect a privileged communication between a lawyer and their client or, in the province of Quebec, between a lawyer or a notary and their client.

(6) The justice or judge who made the order, or a judge of the same territorial division, may revoke, renew or vary the order on an ex parte application made by the peace officer or public officer named in the order.

487.014 (1) For greater certainty, no production order is necessary for a peace officer or public officer enforcing or administering this or any other Act of Parliament to ask a person to voluntarily provide to the officer documents, data or information that the person is not prohibited by law from disclosing.

(2) A person who provides documents, data or information in the circumstances referred to in subsection (1) is deemed to be authorized to do so for the purposes of section 25.

487.015 (1) A person named in an order made under section 487.012 and a financial institution,
person or entity named in an order made under section 487.013 may, before the order expires, apply in writing to the judge who issued the order, or a judge of the same territorial division as the judge or justice who issued the order, for an exemption from the requirement to produce any document, data or information referred to in the order.

(2) A person, financial institution or entity may only make an application under subsection (1) if they give notice of their intention to do so to the peace officer or public officer named in the order, within 30 days after it is made.

(3) The execution of a production order is suspended in respect of any document, data or information referred to in the application for exemption until a final decision is made in respect of the application.

(4) The judge may grant the exemption if satisfied that

(a) the document, data or information would disclose information that is privileged or otherwise
protected from disclosure by law;

(b) it is unreasonable to require the applicant to produce the document, data or information; or

(c) the document, data or information is not in the possession or control of the applicant.

487.016 No person is excused from complying with an order made under section 487.012 or 487.013 on the ground that the document, data or information referred to in the order may tend to incriminate them or subject them to any proceeding or penalty, but no document prepared by an individual under paragraph 487.012(1)(b) may be used or received in evidence against that individual in any criminal
proceedings subsequently instituted against them, other than a prosecution under section
132, 136 or 137.

487.017 A financial institution, person or entity who does not comply with a production order made under section 487.012 or 487.013 is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $250,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.

487.02 Where an authorization is given under section 184.2, 184.3, 186 or 188, a warrant is issued under this Act or an order is made under subsection 492.2(2), the judge or justice who gives the authorization, issues the warrant or makes the order may order any person to provide assistance, where the person’s assistance may reasonably be considered to be required to give effect to the authorization, warrant or order.

487.03 (1) If a warrant is issued under section 487.01, 487.05 or 492.1 or subsection 492.2(1) in one province, a judge or justice, as the case may be, in another province may, on application, endorse the warrant if it may reasonably be expected that it is to be executed in the other province and that its execution would require entry into or on the property of any person, or would require that an order be made under section 487.02 with respect to any person, in that province.

(1.1) The endorsement may be made on the original of the warrant or on a copy of the warrant that is transmitted by any means of telecommunication and, once endorsed, the warrant has the same force in the other province as though it had originally been issued there.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and