Forward Regulatory Plan 2026 – 2028

Proposed Regulatory Initiatives

Order Amending the Schedule to the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act

Description

The proposed amendments would update references to the licences listed in the schedule to the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act.

Potential impact on Canadians and Businesses

There are no impacts on Canadians and businesses as the proposed update to the schedule is to delete licences that no longer exist.

Public consultation opportunities

No public consultations are anticipated as the amendments update an existing legislative program by reflecting changes made to the names of various licences. Consultations will be held with Transport Canada to ensure accuracy in the licences listed in the schedule.

Department contact

Cassandre Laveaux, Counsel
Family and Children’s Law Team
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-550-4850

Regulations Amending the Release of Information for Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Regulations

Description

The Release of Information for Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Regulations (Release of Information Regulations) must be amended as a consequence of amendments made by former Bill C-78, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act (former Bill C-78).

The Release of Information Regulations would identify the information that can be searched for and released to federal, provincial and territorial Central Authorities under the Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980 Convention), the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (1996 Convention) and the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (2007 Convention), which will vary depending on the purpose for which the information is being requested.

Potential impact on Canadians and Businesses

The Release of Information Regulations would give effect to amendments made by former Bill C-78. Specifically, the changes would help Canadian federal, provincial and territorial Central Authorities responsible for implementing obligations under three international family law Conventions (the 1980, 1996 and 2007 Conventions) by releasing information from federal information banks to assist Central Authorities in locating parties in Canada. There are no anticipated business impacts.

Public consultation opportunities

Key stakeholders, notably the provinces and territories, have been consulted on an ongoing basis for a number of years. These consultations will continue. Federal partners, including the Canada Revenue Agency, have been consulted in the context of the amendments made by former Bill C-78, and will continue to be consulted regarding the Release of Information Regulations. The public will be consulted through the pre-publication process in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

Department contact

Cassandre Laveaux, Counsel
Family and Children’s Law Team
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-550-4850

Order in Council setting out the coming-into-force date of former Bill C-78 legislative amendments to Part II of the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act

Description

The Order in Council will set out the coming-into-force date of former Bill C-78 provisions related to Part II of the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act which is expected to be in November 2026.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

N/A

Public consultation opportunities

N/A

Department contact

Mélanie Clément, Counsel
Family and Children’s Law Team
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-576-4392

Regulations amending the Federal Child Support Guidelines

Description

The Federal Child Support Guidelines (Federal Guidelines) were introduced in 1997. Some changes are needed to modernize the Federal Guidelines to better reflect families’ current realities; and help promote affordability; reduce poverty; address family violence; increase the efficiency and efficacy of the justice system; and improve access to justice.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

The changes would uphold the Federal Guidelines’ objective to establish a fair standard of support for children so that they continue to benefit from the financial means of both their parents after separation.

There are no expected business impacts.

Public consultation opportunities

The public will be consulted through the pre-publication process in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

The amendments would be developed with provincial and territorial officials.

Department contact

Andina van Isschot, Counsel
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
613-614-7624

Family Orders and Agreements Garnishment Regulations

Description

Substantive changes are required to the Family Support Orders and Agreements Garnishment Regulations (current Regulations) as a consequence of amendments made by former Bill C-78, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act. As a result, the current Regulations will be repealed and replaced with the new Family Orders and Agreements Garnishments Regulations (new Regulations). Under the new Regulations, the notice to the debtor and the application form would no longer be prescribed, instead, the new Regulations would list the information to be provided in an application for garnishment. The new Regulations would also provide greater flexibility in relation to service of documents and methods of responses clarify when garnishment starts, define the manner in which garnishee summonses are to be honoured where more than one garnishee summons against the same debtor is served and reduce the annual fee charged for processing a garnishee summons to $10.

Potential impact on Canadians and Businesses

The regulatory proposal would improve service to, and access to justice for, Canadians by making the garnishment process more efficient. It would provide greater certainty to applicants as to when documents are deemed submitted, and as to when garnishments start. The new Regulations would also provide clarity as to how multiple summonses against the same judgment debtor are to be treated, reduce the administration fee charged for processing a garnishee summons under Part II of the Act to reflect the operating costs of the garnishment services and provide administrative flexibility and efficiency to the federal government regarding modifications to the application form.

There are no expected business impacts.

Public consultation opportunities

Key stakeholders, including federal partners and provincial and territorial services that receive and process the garnishment applications were consulted in relation to the legislative amendments brought about by former Bill C-78. Consultations will continue regarding amendments to the regulations. The public will be consulted through the pre-publication process in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

Department contact

Mélanie Clément, Counsel
Family and Children’s Law Team
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-576-4392

Order Designating the Ministers Responsible for the Application of Part II of the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act

Description

The governor in council designates, by order, the ministers responsible for the application of Part II of the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act. The order SI/84-6 that designates those ministers will be updated. The names of certain ministers and ministerial responsibilities have changed since the order was made in 1984.

Department contact

Cassandre Laveaux, Counsel
Family and Children’s Law Team
Family Law and Youth Justice Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-550-4850

Regulations Amending the Contraventions Regulations (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994)

Description

The amendments will designate offences found in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, as contraventions, adjust fine amounts and make technical amendments to the Contraventions Regulations.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

These amendments provide enforcement officers with an appropriate enforcement tool, enabling them to fulfil their mandate more effectively in promoting regulatory compliance. It improves access to justice by allowing offenders to plead guilty and pay a fine without having to appear in court, while saving the courts and law enforcement agencies resources.

Public consultation opportunities

Environment and Climate Change Canada is expected to hold consultations in 2026–27.

Department contact

Programs Branch Legal Services Division
Department of Justice
PBLSD@justice.gc.ca

Regulations Amending the Contraventions Regulations (Government Property Traffic Act)

Description

These amendments seek to remove duplicative designations, increase fine amounts and make other technical amendments for offences designated as contraventions under Schedule III (Government Property Traffic Act) to the Contraventions Regulations. These amendments are dependent on amendments to the Government Property Traffic Regulations to be made by Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

These amendments provide enforcement officers with an appropriate enforcement tool, enabling them to fulfil their mandate more effectively in promoting regulatory compliance. It improves access to justice by allowing offenders to plead guilty and pay a fine without having to appear in court, while saving the courts and law enforcement agencies resources.

Public consultation opportunities

Public Services and Procurement Canada is expected to hold consultations in 2026–27.

Department contact

Programs Branch Legal Services Division
Department of Justice
PBLSD@justice.gc.ca

Amendments to the Evaluation of Impaired Operation (Drugs and Alcohol) Regulations

Description

Some of the Ministerial Orders enacted pursuant to the Criminal Code impaired driving regime require updating. They rely on outdated enabling provisions, and are improperly characterized as Statutory Instruments (SI) when the current legislative approach would be to characterize them as a Statutory Order and Regulation (SOR). While this does not affect their legal validity, it may result in confusion and make the criminal law less accessible to Canadians.

This initiative would not make any substantive changes to the regulations, but would repeal and replace the following Orders to ensure they reflect the current Criminal Code impaired driving provisions, which were enacted in 2018:

  1. The Approved Breath Analysis Instrument Order (SI/85-201); and
  2. The Evaluation of Impaired Operation (Drugs and Alcohol) Regulations (SOR/2008-196).

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

The proposed measure will have no impact on business and a small positive impact to Canadians by improving the accessibility of the Criminal Code and improving public safety.

Public consultation opportunities

The federal government will engage provincial and territorial partners through established forums like the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials – Criminal Justice.

Department contact

Joanna Wells, Counsel / Morna Boyle, Counsel
Criminal Law Policy Section
Department of Justice
613-878-1137/ 343-542-8529

Regulations Prescribing Certain Offences to be Serious Offences

Description

Subsection 467.1(4) of the Criminal Code provides the ability to respond to the changing activities of organized crime groups by allowing the Governor in Council to make regulations prescribing offences, which are punishable by less than five years imprisonment, to be “serious offences.” A “serious offence” is defined in the Criminal Code to mean an indictable offence under any Act of Parliament for which the maximum punishment is at least five years’ imprisonment or another offence that is prescribed by regulation. The Regulations make a number of criminal offences “serious offences” for the purposes of the organized crime provisions.

The proposed amendments would include repealing or amending provisions to reflect changes in the originating federal legislation and potentially the designation of new “serious offences.”

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

The proposed amendments would more accurately reflect the full range of conduct engaged in by organized crime and recognize the increased threat to public safety that occurs when organized crime engages in certain criminal acts.

The proposed amendments are not expected to have cost implications.

Public consultation opportunities

The federal government will engage provincial and territorial partners through established forums like the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials – Criminal Justice.

Department contact

Kenyatta Hawthorne, Counsel / Matthew Taylor, Director General and Senior General Counsel
Criminal Law Policy Section
Department of Justice
343-571-7283 / 343-551-9620

Order in Council setting out the coming-into-force date for section 35 of former Bill S-12, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act

Description

The Order in Council will set out the coming-into-force date for section 35 of former Bill S-12, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act, which is expected to be in the second quarter of 2026.

Department contact

Stéphanie Bouchard, Director and Senior Counsel
Policy Centre for Victim Issues
Department of Justice
613-617-1811

Regulation Amending Schedule II to the Privacy Regulations

Description

The proposed amendments would add two entities to the list of investigative bodies in Schedule II to the Privacy Regulations for the purposes of the application of paragraph 8(2)(e) of the Privacy Act. These entities, within Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Enforcement Branch, are the Environmental Enforcement Directorate and the Wildlife Enforcement Directorate.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

There are no expected impacts.

Public consultation opportunities

The Privacy Commissioner has been consulted on the proposed regulatory amendments. As well, the proposed regulatory amendments will be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, and this will permit online commenting using the online comment feature in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

Department contact

Alison Harding-Shogilev, Counsel
Centre for Information and Privacy Law
Public Law and Legislative Services Section
Department of Justice
343-542-5102

Regulations Amending and Repealing Certain Regulations Made Under the Statutory Instruments Act and Order Repealing the Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014

Description

Justice Canada reviewed its regulations in response to the Red Tape Review initiative, to identify outdated, burdensome, costly or inefficient rules, requirements and processes.

Justice Canada is proposing to repeal and amend certain provisions of the Statutory Instruments Regulations, and to repeal the Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014, the Canada Gazette (1978) Special Issue Regulations and the Consolidated Regulations Delivery Regulations.

The following outdated requirements for publishing the Canada Gazette would be removed, making the process more modern, efficient and aligned with users’ needs:

The proposed amendments would also lift outdated requirements relating to the way regulations are to be transmitted to the Clerk of the Privy Council and repeal or amend outdated references to federal legislation or entities in the Statutory Instruments Regulations.

Potential impact on Canadians and Business

The proposed repeals and amendments should result in little to no impact on the ability of Canadians to access federal Acts, regulations, and other statutory instruments, notably considering other key existing online resources.

The proposed repeals and amendments are not expected to have cost implications on Canadians and businesses.

Public consultation opportunities

Consultations will be held through the pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

Department contact

Sophie Gervais, Senior Counsel and Deputy Director
Headquarters Regulations Section, Legislative Services Branch
Public Law and Legislative Services Sector
Department of Justice
343-543-6554

Regulations Repealing the C.N.R. Company Exemption Order (Miscellaneous Program)

Description

Justice Canada reviewed its regulations in response to the Red Tape Review initiative, to identify outdated, burdensome, costly or inefficient rules, requirements and processes.

As such, the Regulations Repealing the C.N.R. Company Exemption Order (Miscellaneous Program) will repeal the C.N.R. Company Exemption Order. This repeal is carried out because the order in question no longer has legal effect.

Department contact

Jacinthe Bourdages, Director and General Counsel
Official Languages Directorate, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector
Department of Justice
Jacinthe.Bourdages@justice.gc.ca
613-716-5450