Mr. Deputy Speaker:
When shall this bill be read a third time?
Mr. Garson:
Now.
Mr. Knowles:
By leave.
Mr. Garson moved
the third reading of the bill.
Motion agreed to and bill read the third time and passed.
Hon. Stuart S. Garson (Minister of Justice) moved
the second reading of Bill No. 32, respecting the revised statutes of Canada.
Motion agreed to, bill read the second time and the house went into committee thereon, Mr. Dion in the chair. On section 1-Supplement.
Mr. Diefenbaker:
Will the minister make a statement?
Mr. Garson:
As hon. members are aware, since I have made the statement several times, we have a statute revision commission preparing the first all-over revision of the federal statutes since 1927. This body has been engaged for some time, and is now approaching the completion of its work. The idea is that, at the
Revised Statutes of Canada next session of the house in 1952, we should pass a revision of all the statutes which will include all acts passed up until the end of 1951. It is proposed to have all the final copy ready, the type set and the platens taken off and ready to print when this work is completed. It will take about eight months to complete the printing of this huge mass of material. I have no doubt that during this time parliament will be busy enacting more legislation.
Mr. Knowles:
And amending some that has been passed.
Mr. Garson:
Yes, and amending some that has been passed. But I would point out that the acts we are likely to amend we will likely amend on the terms of the 1927 revision and amendments. The purpose, and the only purpose, of this bill is to get over this difficulty of the legislative process continuing simultaneously with the printing process.
The amendments presented to the house during the 1952 session will not be incorporated in the 1952 revision, because the 1952 revision will include all of the statutes passed up until the end of 1951. When that work is finished we have to set it in printed form, so there has to be a cut-off date. The whole purpose of this bill is to authorize the governor in council to make provision for adding a supplement to the 1952 revised statutes. In others words, you will have volumes I, II, III and IV and an index. Then there will be this supplement. In the future, anyone looking at the revised statutes will look in the index and the index to the supplement, and will know that he has all the 1952 revised statutes listed in these two indices here.
In the meanwhile, we shall put out a 1952 volume of the annual statutes which will contain the appropriation acts, private and local acts and temporary acts that have no particular legislative character. Now, that is the purpose and the only purpose of the bill.
Mr. Diefenbaker:
The other day the minister mentioned that he had not as yet had a report from the commission engaged in revising the Criminal Code, which of course will be one of those statutes. In view of the fact that he expects that, with the exception of the amendments passed in 1952, he will go ahead with the printing of the revised statutes, does that mean it is expected the house will be made aware of the suggested changes in the Criminal Code at the next session so that the new Criminal Code may be included in the revised statutes?
Mr. Garson:
As my hon. friend is aware, the body which has been revising the Criminal Code is a separate body from that which has been revising the statutes. At
the next session we shall introduce the report of the body revising the Criminal Code, and we shall be asking the house to enact a revised Criminal Code in which we hope we can reduce the number of sections from somewhere between 1,100 and 1,200 to something between 700 and 800. This will be published, either with this supplement or as a separate consolidated statute. I believe most lawyers will agree that there is a great deal to be said for having a consolidated Criminal Code in a volume by itself.
Mr. Browne (Si. John's West):
If that is so, why does not the minister decide on that now? I think it is a wonderful idea.
Mr. Garson:
Decide on what?
Mr. Browne (Si. John's Wesl):
Why do we
not decide now to have a separate volume for the Criminal Code and keep it separate from the rest of the revised statutes?
Mr. Garson:
I think we shall.
Mr. Browne (Si. John's Wesl):
I am glad that is going to be done but do not be in any doubt about it. Further I should like to ask the minister when he expects that the consolidation will be ready for printing.
Mr. Garson:
That is, of the statutes or of the code?