Civil Forfeiture in Ontario 2007: An Update on the Civil Remedies Act, 2001 By Ministry of the Attorney General August 2007 Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney Creneral Civil forfeiture in Ontario 2007- a update on the Civil Remedies Act, 2001 ISSUED T( Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General Civil forfeiture in Ontario 2007: an update on the Civil Remedies Act, 2001 MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL LAW LIBRARY MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SEP 2 5 2007 LAW LIBRARY Civil Forfeiture in Ontario 2007 An Update On the Civil Remedies Act, 2001 Ministry of the Attorney General @ Ontario vv^j ejj Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Ontario Council of University Libraries https://archive.org/details/mag_00059512 Table of Contents Message from the Attorney General 3 Civil Forfeiture: What Is It? 4 History of Civil Forfeiture Around the World 4 Ontario — National and International Leadership 7 The Civil Remedies Act 8 How Civil Forfeiture Works 9 Where Forfeited Assets Go 9 Ontario Case Profiles and Results 10 Looking to the Future 17 c/iistnoO io \snp^<»0 \^?«rvMrtiA A *gt- ^ rH mii bnuoiA yrofriH tt‘fio«tr;,rwi|t4 tannM<iVf - on^Q feiiA wvfO «i[ilT) ay dyi^ rJvfft4^ UviO IKWW <rwrtJW A MESSAGE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL August 2007 Ontario’s innovative Civil Remedies Act was the first of its kind in Canada, and I am proud that Ontario continues to be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the field of civil forfeiture. We are using the Civil Remedies Act with great success. The Civil Remedies for Illicit Activities (CRIA) office, which enforces the act in Ontario, is considered an international authority on civil forfeiture and I commend this dedicated team for its excellent work. This report. Civil Forfeiture in Ontario 2007 — An Update on the Civil Remedies Act, 2001, provides information and examples of civil forfeitures under the act. Working with designated institutions across the province, including police, CRIA’s office has achieved significant results. The Civil Remedies Act will continue to be used to seek court orders to forfeit assets acquired through or used for unlawful activity, and to use those assets to compensate victims. The Honourable Michael Bryant Attorney General .. ® t IF ' rtf' Qftt if ki fcH«i0 ^11 ,e^m # i^sinO r»fiSi9 »{^ ftdovQlt?^ bfm mj»^^'^. iwimmoo I ftp Vfb^i4kt| igifete ' 2«wff€fni3^HvjS?la »i»»^^majitt> '"."'ft'*" - J: ^ '■ ^ *^''-, enfffc #AmO .©sf^voiq'^ «#oiad e^^^^?inno3 f%v toA.i»ibi!f5fe^ M mi. . ■ ., .. .A. lt*S«; . ....;^-... Ji --k..„..>-^ Civil Forfeiture: What Is It? Civil forfeiture is the judicial transfer of title to proceeds and instruments of unlawful activity through civil proceedings. In Ontario, civil forfeiture legislation focuses solely on the connection between property and unlawful activity and is not dependant on any criminal charges or convictions. The standard of proof required for civil forfeiture is the same as in all civil suits —- a balance of probabilities. In contrast, criminal law deals with people and their criminal liability for specific acts. The Criminal Code of Canada, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and numerous other statutes contain provisions that allow for the seizure or restraint of tainted assets in the course of a criminal investigation and provide for forfeiture upon conviction. Other federal statutes also provide for seizure, restraint and forfeiture through adoption of the Criminal Code regime. Criminal seizure, restraint and forfeiture apply to assets derived or obtained directly or indirectly from the commission of almost all criminal offences. Criminal asset forfeiture is primarily conviction-based, meaning the Crown usually must first obtain a criminal conviction against an offender in order to seek a forfeiture order. The Crown must establish, on a balance of probabilities, that the target asset arose from or was used in the commission of an offence. History of Civil Forfeiture Around the World Forfeiture law is built on one of the oldest concepts in law. It dates back to ancient Saxon law, prior to the Norman conquest of 1066. Modern civil forfeiture law is covered by statute, in the same way as remedial property laws. Civil forfeitures are brought in rem: a legal action directed solely against the property seeking a judicial finding that the origin of the property lies in illegal activity, or is being used as an instrument of unlawful activity. An in rem proceeding is not an action against a person, but against the property involved. Jurisdictions including Ontario have recognized the importance of this civil remedies statute in providing mechanisms, which not only recover the proceeds of unlawful activity, but also return those proceeds to its victims. 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