Canada is a large, diverse country in North America recognized for its multicultural society, expansive natural environments, and strong global reputation for safety, stability, and quality of life. Stretching across 9.98 million km², Canada borders the United States to the south and spans three oceans—Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic—giving it the world’s longest coastline. With a population of over 41 million, Canada operates as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, featuring two official languages (English and French) and ten provinces plus three territories. Its major cities—Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary—serve as hubs for finance, culture, and innovation.
Province of Ontario passes the Police Record Checks Reform Act
On December 1, 2015, Ontario passed the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (the “Act”) which has significant implications regarding criminal record checks. The Act establishes comprehensive standards governing the type of information that can be disclosed by police in response to record check inquiries, and is intended to remove unnecessary barriers to employment, licensing, holding office, applying to educational programs and participating in volunteer activities. Its main objective is to prevent the inappropriate disclosure of non-conviction and non-criminal records, such as information obtained from street checks or “carding,” as well as mental health information.
Possibly the most significant requirement under the Act is that the individual must review the requested information and then consent to its disclosure. In the event that potentially inappropriate non-conviction information is included in a record, the Act provides that the individual may request a reconsideration of the disclosure. As a result, employers who conduct employment criminal record checks will now only be able to obtain the results if the applicant/employee has consented to the disclosure.