On April 14, 2020, the Canada Gazette published the Regulations Amending the Contraventions Regulations (Quarantine Act). The Regulations came into force on April 11, 2020, the day on which they were registered.
In response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which began to have serious impacts in Canada in March 2020, the Government of Canada has made numerous emergency orders under the Quarantine Act. These orders restrict entry into Canada or subject persons entering Canada to certain conditions, notably requiring any person returning from travelling abroad to self-isolate for 14 days. The Quarantine Act and the emergency orders made under that Act are designed to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is therefore vitally important that those measures be strictly followed.
The ticketing procedure established under the Contraventions Act offers another option other than prosecution of a person using the procedure set out in the Criminal Code for addressing those who contravene the Quarantine Act. The ticketing regime established by the Contraventions Act, known as the Contraventions Regime, provides another option for enforcing certain federal offences of a regulatory nature as the offender can choose to plead guilty and pay a fine without having to appear in court. Making use of this regime for these offences saves valuable time for the courts and for the enforcement agency, which can be dedicated to the prosecution of the most serious instances of these offences. Accordingly, in order to allow for the enforcement of certain offences contained in the Quarantine Act through the ticketing procedure established under the Contraventions Act, the offences are designated as contraventions and included in the Contraventions Regulations. Furthermore, the amendment to the Contraventions Regulations enables enforcement officers to issue tickets under the Contraventions Act to persons twelve years of age or more, but under eighteen years of age, in amounts not exceeding $100.
