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Status and purpose

• Bill C-236 was at second reading. The provided bill text is from first reading on September 22, 2025.
• It proposes consequences for offenders convicted of an offence relating to a person’s death who have information about the location of the body or remains but refuse to provide it to persons in authority. Its preamble addresses the effect on surviving family members.

Criminal Code

• At sentencing, a court would have to treat such a refusal as an aggravating circumstance if satisfied that the offender has the information. If the court does not give effect to that circumstance in sentencing, it must give reasons.
• For an offender sentenced to at least two years’ imprisonment, including life imprisonment, the court would generally have to set full-parole ineligibility at half the sentence or 10 years, whichever is less, if satisfied of the refusal.
• The court could instead leave parole ineligibility to be determined under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act if satisfied that this would adequately serve denunciation and deterrence. It must revoke an order delaying parole if satisfied that the circumstances for making it have ceased to exist.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

• Decisions about carrying out a sentence, and parole-board decisions, would have to take account of any court order delaying parole under the new provision.
• The Parole Board of Canada or a provincial parole board could refuse parole where it is satisfied that an offender has the location information but refuses to provide it.
• The Parole Board of Canada could also refuse an unescorted temporary absence on that basis.

Prisons and Reformatories Act

• A designated authority could refuse a prisoner’s temporary absence if satisfied that the prisoner has the location information but refuses to provide it.

Costs and commencement

• The provided text does not specify costs or a commencement date.