An Act to amend the Criminal Code (assault against persons who provide health services and first responders)

This bill makes a single, focused change to the Criminal Code. It adds a new section stating that when a court is deciding on a sentence for certain assault-related offences (uttering threats and various levels of assault, covered under specific existing sections of the Code), the judge must treat it as an aggravating factor if the victim was, at the time of the offence, a person providing health services (such as personal care services) or a first responder who was on duty.

In practice, this means the law does not create a new crime or change what conduct is illegal. Instead, it directs judges to weigh more heavily, when handing down a sentence for an assault, the fact that the person attacked was a nurse, doctor, paramedic, personal support worker, police officer, firefighter, or similar first responder doing their job. This is intended to result in tougher sentences in such cases, reflecting Parliament's concern about rising violence against these workers and its physical and psychological toll.

This bill adds a new section to the Criminal Code requiring courts to treat a victim's status as a health services provider or first responder as an aggravating factor when sentencing for assault-related offences.

• Who must apply it — judges sentencing offenders convicted under the assault-related offence referred to in paragraph 264.1(1)(a) or any of sections 266 to 269 of the Criminal Code.
• What is required — the court "shall consider" it an aggravating circumstance if the victim was, at the time of the offence, a person providing health services (including personal care services) or a first responder performing their duty.
• Discretion retained — the bill does not set a mandatory minimum sentence or a specific sentencing increase; it only directs that this fact be weighed as aggravating, leaving the ultimate sentence to the judge's determination.
• Scope of covered offences — applies to assault against a peace officer offences under paragraph 264.1(1)(a) and to the general assault provisions in sections 266 through 269, without creating any new offence category.
• No new body or reporting duty — the bill creates no new office, agency, or reporting requirement, and contains no sunset clause or review mechanism.