Senate.

• Author: Castleton, Katie
• Position: Legislative Reports

During the autumn the Senate continued its work in its capacity as a revising chamber. Three Senate public bills were introduced, one

Commons public bill was received from the House of Commons, six bills were referred to committee and two government bills received third reading and Royal Assent. The Senate also underwent some changes to its membership, with nine new senators added to its ranks as well as some retirements, and to its administration, with a changeover in the position of Clerk of the Senate, the procedural and administrative head of the Senate.

Legislation

The two government bills adopted were Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Tobacco Act, and Bill C-25, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (limiting credit for time spent in pre-sentencing custody). Bill C-32 was passed with support from both parties on October 6. The bill reduces the appeal of tobacco products to Canada's youth, especially first-time smokers, by prohibiting the addition of fruit flavours and other additives such as vitamins to cigarettes, cigarillos, and blunt wraps, and by requiring packaging in minimum quantities of 20 to curtail their affordability. Bill C-32 also repeals the exemption that permits tobacco advertising in publications with an adult readership of not less than 85 per cent.

Bill C-25, one of the government's "tough-on-crime" bills, limits the amount of credit that courts grant to convicted criminals for time spent in pre-sentencing custody. Up until now, judges could grant two-for-one credits or more. The bill limits this to one-for-one. The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs proposed amendments to the bill. These amendments, as well as another amendment put forward by Senator Charlie Watt to exempt Aboriginal peoples from the proposed changes in the bill, were rejected by the Senate in two standing votes.

Bill C-25 was adopted at 3rd reading on October 21 and a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, in his capacity as Deputy of the Governor General, signed the written declaration of Royal Assent later that same day. An interesting point to note is that when a bill is given Royal Assent by written declaration (that is, not in person by the Governor General or a Puisne Judge in the Senate Chamber), the Royal Assent does not take effect until the written declaration has been read out in both the House of Commons and the Senate. As the written declaration of Royal Assent for Bill C-25 was read out in both chambers on...