Parliament has passed a new law that allows jurors to disclose information about jury proceedings to health care professionals.
The bill creates a carve-out in Canada’s strict jury secrecy rules by allowing people to seek mental health support related to their trial experience without breaking the law.Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Ottawa SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc.
Members of Parliament unanimously passed the bill this afternoon, and it will come into force 90 days after the Governor General signs it into law. Conservative Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, a longtime victims’ rights advocate, introduced the bill in the Senate last November and senators passed it within two weeks.
Tory MP Michael Cooper, the bill’s sponsor in the House, said earlier this year that the bill would go a long way toward supporting juror mental health.