Canada Proposes New Legislation to Strengthen Law Enforcement Powers

The federal government is introducing new measures to give law enforcement and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) expanded tools to investigate threats and keep Canadians safe. The move comes as criminal activity increasingly takes place online and across borders, often involving organized crime, human trafficking, child exploitation, money laundering, and national security threats.

Announced by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Justice Minister Sean Fraser, the proposed legislation—Bill C-22—aims to modernize the Criminal Code and align Canada’s laws with other Five Eyes countries that have lawful access regimes. The legislation would allow authorities to act faster in urgent situations, access basic information early in investigations, and improve cooperation with international partners.

The government says Bill C-22 complements recent initiatives, including stricter bail rules, tougher sentences for repeat violent offenders, strengthened border measures to combat human trafficking and illegal drugs, and programs aimed at preventing intimate partner violence and keeping child predators behind bars.

The legislation is currently under review and would provide law enforcement with modernized tools to respond to crimes and threats in Canada’s rapidly changing security environment.