Chamber
commons
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
Sep 19, 2025
Progress
This bill adds addiction treatment program options to the Youth Criminal Justice Act for young offenders whose crimes are linked to drugs.
Key Changes
- Police must consider referring youth to addiction treatment programs when their alleged offence is linked to drugs or cannabis, with the youth's consent
- Courts can delay sentencing to allow a young person to participate in an addiction treatment program, with consent from both the youth and the Attorney General
- Attending an addiction treatment program can be added as a condition to certain court orders
- Addiction treatment programs are explicitly included within intensive support and supervision programs and non-residential programs available as youth sentences
- A young person cannot be sent to custody solely because they failed or refused to comply with an addiction treatment condition
Gotchas
- Participation in addiction treatment programs requires the young person's consent at the police referral stage, meaning youth cannot be forced into treatment involuntarily
- Delaying sentencing for treatment requires consent from both the Attorney General and the young person, giving the Crown a veto over this option
- The protection against custody for non-compliance with treatment conditions only applies to that specific condition — other violations of court orders could still lead to custody
- The availability and authorization of specific addiction treatment programs is left to provinces and the Attorney General, meaning access may vary significantly across Canada
- This is a private member's bill introduced by a member of the opposition, which typically faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support
Who's Affected
- Young persons (under 18) who commit offences linked to controlled substances or cannabis
- Youth justice courts and judges
- Police officers dealing with youth drug-related offences
- Addiction treatment program providers authorized by provincial governments or the Attorney General
- Attorneys General (federal and provincial) who must consent to sentencing delays
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Participation in addiction treatment programs requires the young person's consent at the police referral stage, meaning youth cannot be forced into treatment involuntarily
- Delaying sentencing for treatment requires consent from both the Attorney General and the young person, giving the Crown a veto over this option
- The protection against custody for non-compliance with treatment conditions only applies to that specific condition — other violations of court orders could still lead to custody
- The availability and authorization of specific addiction treatment programs is left to provinces and the Attorney General, meaning access may vary significantly across Canada
- This is a private member's bill introduced by a member of the opposition, which typically faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support
Summary
Bill C-231 changes the Youth Criminal Justice Act to better connect young people who commit drug-related offences with addiction treatment programs. It allows police to refer youth to treatment programs instead of charging them, and allows courts to delay sentencing so a young person can participate in an addiction treatment program first. Courts can also make attending an addiction treatment program a condition of certain orders. The bill affects young people who have committed offences connected to controlled substances or cannabis. It is designed to treat addiction as a health issue rather than purely a criminal one, giving youth an opportunity to address the root cause of their behaviour before a sentence is imposed. Importantly, the bill includes a protection for youth: if a young person fails or refuses to attend an addiction treatment program as required, that alone cannot be the reason they are sent to custody. This reflects a philosophy that non-compliance with treatment should not automatically lead to incarceration.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | 2nd reading of Bill C-231, An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act | 327 | 0 | Agreed To |