Justice minister says victims’ rights bill months away as consultations continue

OTTAWA – Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says it’s going to a take several months to draft a victims’ bill of rights as the federal government consults with crime victims.

His comments come as Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to meet the mother of Rehtaeh Parsons, the 17-year-old Nova Scotia girl who took her own life following an alleged rape and online harassment.

The Conservative government has frequently used victims of crime to promote its tough criminal justice agenda, although critics have said the heavy focus on offender punishment offers little practical help to help the victimized.

The government announced in February that legislation to entrench victim rights in law would be introduced this year.

The idea is to clearly lay out what rights victims of crime have within the federal justice system — principally the right to timely information about their case and the ongoing handling of the offender.

The concept is not new; all the provinces have such bills of rights —Manitoba since 1986 — but their practical effect has also been questioned.

Nicholson’s comments on consultations, which he said would take place “over the next number of months,” came as he opened a meeting with crime victims in Ottawa, part of the government’s promotion of Victims of Crime Week.