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Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions

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Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS CONSIDERATIONS FOR LAWYERS February, 2017 Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Considerations for Lawyers ISBN: 978-1-927014-35-6 © Canadian Bar Association 865 Carling Avenue, Suite 500 Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Tel.: (613) 237-2925 / (800) 267-8860 Fax: (613) 237-0185 2 Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Considerations for Lawyers INTRODUCTION Crown and defence counsel in criminal proceedings often consider their responsibility to an accused person ending with the close of court proceedings. If an acquittal results, counsel may not consider what happens with records generated as part of the prosecution. If a conviction is the outcome, counsel may not feel responsible for factoring in potential ongoing collateral civil implications when speaking to sentence. For example, the offender’s employment or future plans may be restricted because of travel limitations, or the offender may be unable to pay a court-imposed fine and face ongoing penalties as a result. But, if not the job of counsel at the sentencing hearing, who will advise the offender of potential additional implications of a finding of guilt, beyond incarceration? Who will be responsible for ensuring that all likely collateral consequences of a conviction are before the court in arriving at a just sentence, viewed comprehensively? Prosecutors need to ensure that full and accurate materials are forwarded to numerous decision-makers and bodies that may deal with an offender after sentencing. Defence counsel need to consider and communicate to the court all implications of a finding of guilt that may lead to barriers to an offender’s future prospects and/or successful reintegration into society following incarceration. Such consequences can be impediments to employment, housing, voting, volunteering and even, for non-citizens, remaining in Canada. More important, before a client pleads guilty or, following a contested trial, soon after the finding of guilt is registered, defence counsel need to ensure that clients themselves fully understand how their situations may change in the future (or have already changed). The Canadian Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section and Committee on Imprisonment and Release have created this resource1 to assist lawyers to tackle these challenges. Each chapter concludes with a checklist of considerations for counsel. The report also includes an annotated bibliography of additional resources prepared by the University of Toronto Department of Criminology and a provincial and territorial directory of relevant legislation (prepared with the help of Pro Bono Students Canada volunteers). PLEASE NOTE: The information in the report will change rapidly, in response to international, national, provincial and territorial legislative and policy changes. Given the breadth of the subject matter and the challenge of keeping it current and accurate, we ask for your help in providing ongoing corrections, additions and updates.2 This report is not intended to provide legal advice, but rather preliminary tips and information to flag issues for further exploration. It is a starting point to assist lawyers in considering the hidden and potentially long-lasting repercussions that offenders often face following a finding of guilt, even for relatively minor offences. Each section of this report concludes with a checklist of considerations for counsel, but the tips there are also intended to point counsel to some pertinent areas for further exploration and may not be comprehensive (or correct) in all situations. 1 The CBA acknowledges and thanks numerous contributors to this project, including Justice David Cole, Melissa Azevedo, Kim Crosbie, Abby Deshman, Mary Campbell, Andrea Shier, Mariana Valverde and many others, as well as law student volunteers with Pro Bono Students Canada. 2 Please write to CBA Criminal Justice Section ([email protected]), at CBA National with any corrections or suggestions. Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Considerations for Lawyers 3 We hope that this will be an evolving tool that will stimulate dialogue among judges, defence counsel, prosecutors, legal aid providers, legal services organizations, correctional officials, public policy experts, community groups, prisoners’ rights organizations and other concerned justice system participants. 4 Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Considerations for Lawyers TABLE OF CONTENTS I. DEPORTATION AND CITIZENSHIP .................................................................. 7 A. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ......................................................................................... 8 Criminal Inadmissibility ................................................................................................................... 8 Serious Criminality ...................................................................................................................... 8 Criminality .................................................................................................................................... 9 Organized Criminality ................................................................................................................. 9 IRPA and Hybrid Offences .......................................................................................................... 9 Permanent Residents ...................................................................................................................... 9 Foreign Nationals ........................................................................................................................... 11 Rehabilitation ............................................................................................................................ 11 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 11 B. Other Immigration Considerations ................................................................................................. 11 Canadian Citizenship ........................................................................................................................ 11 Sponsoring Family Members ........................................................................................................... 12 Findings of Guilt and Travel ............................................................................................................. 12 Inadmissibility and Sentencing ............................................................................................................12 II. REGISTRIES, RECORDS, PARDONS ...........................................................14 A. Victim Surcharges ...................................................................................................................................15 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 16 B. Unpaid Court-Ordered Fines ........................................................................................................... 16 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 17 C. Non-Payment of Court-Ordered Restitution .....................................................................................18 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 19 D. DNA Orders ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 21 E. Pardons and Record Suspensions .......................................................................................................21 Record Suspensions and Admissibility to Canada ..................................................................... 23 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 24 F. Photographs and Fingerprints ......................................................................................................... 25 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 26 G. Sex Offender Registries ............................................................................................................ 26 Youths.............................................................................................................................................. 28 Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Considerations for Lawyers 5 III. CIVIL DISABILITIES ....................................................................................29 A. Jury Service ......................................................................................................................................... 30 B. Possessing Firearms ................................................................................................................. 32 C. Voting Rights .....................................................................................................................................
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