BILL NO. 174

(as introduced)

2nd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
68 Elizabeth II, 2019

 

Private Member's Bill

 

Victims' Rights and Services Act
(amended)

 

Karla MacFarlane
Pictou West

First Reading: October 3, 2019

(Explanatory Note)

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

Explanatory Note

This Bill requires the Director of the Victim Services Program of the Department of Justice to provide a court support worker to support a victim of sexualized human trafficking by attending every court trial hearing date of the human trafficking criminal prosecution with the victim.

An Act to Amend Chapter 14
of the Acts of 1989,
the Victims' Rights and Services Act

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 Chapter 14 of the Acts of 1989, the Victims' Rights and Services Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 3 the following Section:

3A (1) In this Section,

(a) "court proceedings" means a court trial hearing of a human trafficking criminal prosecution;

(b) "court support worker" means an employee of the Department of Justice Victim Services Program who provides support to a victim by attending court proceedings with the victim of sexualized human trafficking;

(c) "victim of sexualized human trafficking" means an individual who suffered sexualized violence, physical or emotional abuse by another person exercising control, direction or influence over the movement of the victim for sexualized human trafficking purposes.

(2) The Director shall assign a court support worker to a victim of sexualized human trafficking for attendance at all court proceedings relating to that person's human trafficking prosecution.

(3) A victim of sexualized human trafficking may refuse the assignment of a court support worker.

(4) A court support worker may provide a victim of sexualized human trafficking with emotional support, court preparation advice, referrals to community agencies, liaison support with crown prosecutors and other related services.

2 The money required for the purpose of this Section shall be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

 

---

This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2019 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created October 3, 2019. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.