SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to create four new offences relating to nuclear terrorism in order to implement the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

Marginal note: Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Nuclear Terrorism Act .

R.S., c. C-46 CRIMINAL CODE

Marginal note: 2001, c. 41, s. 2(1)

• 2. (1) Paragraph (d) of the definition in section 2 of the Criminal Code is replaced by the following:

• (d) with respect to proceedings in relation to an offence referred to in subsection 7(3.71), or in relation to an offence referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition “terrorist activity” in subsection 83.01(1) if the act or omission was committed outside Canada but is deemed under any of subsections 7(2), (2.1) to (2.21), (3), (3.1), (3.72) and (3.73) to have been committed in Canada, means either the Attorney General of Canada or the Attorney General or Solicitor General of the province in which those proceedings are taken and includes his or her lawful deputy,

• (a) air, land and water,
• (b) all layers of the atmosphere,
• (c) all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms, and
• (d) the interacting natural systems that include components referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c);

• (a) any nuclear reactor, including a reactor installed on a vessel, vehicle, aircraft or space object for use as an energy source in order to propel the vessel, vehicle, aircraft or space object or for any other purpose, and
• (b) any plant or conveyance used for the production, storage, processing or transport of nuclear material or radioactive material;

• (a) plutonium, except plutonium with an isotopic concentration of plutonium-238 that is greater than 80%,
• (b) uranium-233,
• (c) uranium containing uranium-233 or uranium-235 or both in an amount such that the abundance ratio of the sum of those isotopes to the isotope uranium-238 is greater than 0.72%,
• (d) uranium with an isotopic concentration equal to that occurring in nature, except uranium in the form of ore or ore-residue, and
• (e) any substance containing any material described in paragraphs (a) to (d);

means any material that emits one or more types of ionizing radiation, such as alpha or beta particles, neutrons and gamma rays, and that is capable of, owing to its radiological or fissile properties, causing death, serious bodily harm or substantial damage to property or the environment;

Marginal note: Nuclear terrorism offence committed outside Canada

• (a) the act or omission is committed on a ship that is registered or licensed, or for which an identification number has been issued, under any Act of Parliament;
• (b) the act or omission is committed on an aircraft that
  • (i) is registered in Canada under regulations made under the Aeronautics Act , or
  • (ii) is leased without crew and operated by a person who is qualified under regulations made under the Aeronautics Act to be registered as owner of an aircraft in Canada under those regulations;

  Marginal note: R.S., c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 5(3)

  4. The heading before section 79 of the Act is replaced by the following:

  Dangerous Materials and Devices

  5. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 82.1:

  82.2 For the purposes of sections 82.3 to 82.5, means any of the following:

  • (a) a nuclear explosive device;
  • (b) a device that disperses radioactive material;
  • (c) a device that emits ionizing radiation and that is capable of causing death, serious bodily harm or substantial damage to property or the environment.

  Marginal note: Possession, etc., of nuclear material, radioactive material or device

  82.3 Everyone who, with intent to cause death, serious bodily harm or substantial damage to property or the environment, makes a device or possesses, uses, transfers, exports, imports, alters or disposes of nuclear material, radioactive material or a device or commits an act against a nuclear facility or an act that causes serious interference with or serious disruption of its operations, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for life.

  Marginal note: Use or alteration of nuclear material, radioactive material or device

  82.4 Everyone who, with intent to compel a person, government or international organization to do or refrain from doing any act, uses or alters nuclear material, radioactive material or a device or commits an act against a nuclear facility or an act that causes serious interference with or serious disruption of its operations, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for life.

  Marginal note: Commission of indictable offence to obtain nuclear material, etc.

  82.5 Everyone who commits an indictable offence under this or any other Act of Parliament, with intent to obtain nuclear material, radioactive material or a device or to obtain access to a nuclear facility, is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for life.

  Marginal note: Threats

  82.6 Everyone who threatens to commit an offence under any of sections 82.3 to 82.5 is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years.

  Marginal note: Armed forces

  82.7 For greater certainty, sections 82.3 to 82.6 do not apply to an act that is committed during an armed conflict and that, at the time and in the place of its commission, is in accordance with customary international law or conventional international law applicable to the conflict, or to activities undertaken by military forces of a state in the exercise of their official duties, to the extent that those activities are governed by other rules of international law.

  Marginal note: 2001, c. 41, s. 4

  6. Subparagraph (a)(v) of the definition in subsection 83.01(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (v) the offences referred to in subsection 7(2.21) that implement the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, done at Vienna and New York on March 3, 1980, as amended by the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, done at Vienna on July 8, 2005 and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, done at New York on September 14, 2005,

  7. Paragraph (a) of the definition in section 183 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subparagraph (xii):

  • (xii.01) section 82.3 (possession, etc., of nuclear material, radioactive material or device),
  • (xii.02) section 82.4 (use or alteration of nuclear material, radioactive material or device),
  • (xii.03) section 82.5 (commission of indictable offence to obtain nuclear material, etc.),
  • (xii.04) section 82.6 (threats),

  8. Paragraph (a.1) of the definition in section 487.04 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subparagraph (i.04):

  • (i.041) section 82.3 (possession, etc., of nuclear material, radioactive material or device),
  • (i.042) section 82.4 (use or alteration of nuclear material, radioactive material or device),
  • (i.043) section 82.5 (commission of indictable offence to obtain nuclear material, etc.),
  • (i.044) section 82.6 (threats),

  Marginal note: 2000, c. 24, s. 45

  9. The portion of subsection 607(6) of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

  Marginal note: Exception — foreign trials in absentia

  COMING INTO FORCE

  Marginal note: Order in council

  10. This Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.