Intimidation of Parliament

Intimidation of Parliament is a criminal law in Canada that makes it a crime to violently intimidate the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. The maximum sentence is fourteen years. It reads:

Intimidating Parliament or legislature
51. Every one who does an act of violence in order to intimidate Parliament or the legislature of a province is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.[1]

The law is one of only a handful of criminal offences,[2] including treason and piracy, that are automatically heard by the relevant provincial superior court—composed of federally appointed,[3] salaried,[4] and disciplined[5] judges—rather than the inferior Provincial courts, which are composed of provincially appointed[6] judges. It is a very rare crime. One of the only individuals to be charged with the crime in recent decades was Charles Yacoub who hijacked a Greyhound bus and had it driven onto Parliament Hill in 1989. In his trial Yacoub was later found not guilty of the particular charge.[7]

References
  1. Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 51 retrieved on 2017-04-12
  2. Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 469 retrieved on 2017-04-12
  3. The Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, s 96 retrieved on 2017-04-12
  4. Judges Act, RSC 1985, c J-1, s 12 retrieved on 2017-04-12
  5. The Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, s 99 retrieved on 2017-04-12
  6. See for example: Courts of Justice Act, RSO 1990, c C.43, retrieved on 2017-04-12
  7. "Yacoub acquitted of 3 of 5 charges in hijacking of bus to Parliament Hill". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: March 7, 1990. p. A.4
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