It will soon be easier to sue criminals for your emotional distress

The Ontario government has introduced legislation that will make it easier, if you're a victim of crime, to sue an offender for emotional distress.

The proposed Enhancing Access to Justice Act also hopes protect children and youth from cannabis, enhance community safety and make court and government operations more efficient.

“Through proposed changes to the Victims’ Bill of Rights and the Cannabis Control Act, our government is increasing access to justice for victims of crime, holding offenders accountable, and protecting children and youth," said Attorney General Doug Downey.

The proposed legislation will:

• Update the Victims’ Bill of Rights, 1995 to make it easier for victims of crime, such as victims of terrorism, vehicle theft, human trafficking-related crime, and hate-related crimes targeting places of worship, to sue an offender for emotional distress and related bodily harm.
• Protect children and youth by banning the growth of recreational cannabis in homes that offer childcare services.
• Amend the Coroners Act to allow for faster and more meaningful and relevant recommendations for construction-related death investigations.

In 2022, there were 1,721 incidents of police-reported hate crimes which is almost a 20 per cent increase from the previous year.

From 2014 to 2021, there was a 72 per cent increase in auto theft across the province, and a 14 per cent increase in the last year alone.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide. Ontario is a hub for human trafficking, with the most police-reported incidents in the country in 2019.