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What the bill does

• Bill S-224 would amend the Director of Public Prosecutions Act. It is at second reading; the supplied text is the version introduced at first reading on June 3, 2025.
• It would require the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate and conduct prosecutions of summary conviction offences under First Nation laws on behalf of the First Nation that made or enacted the law. This duty would also cover related appeals and other proceedings.

Exceptions and scope

• The Director would not conduct those prosecutions or related proceedings if the First Nation has appointed or retained a prosecutor, or has an agreement with a provincial or territorial government to prosecute summary conviction offences created by its laws.
• The bill defines covered First Nations to include Indian Act bands, First Nations covered by the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act, and First Nations party to a self-government agreement implemented by an Act of Parliament.
• Covered First Nation laws include Indian Act bylaws, laws defined under the land management legislation, and laws enacted by an authorized First Nation entity under a self-government agreement implemented by an Act of Parliament.

Other changes

• The bill would amend the Act’s definition of “prosecution” to exclude matters covered by the new First Nation prosecution provision from that definition.
• The supplied text specifies no costs, deadline or coming-into-force date.