C-2014368-69Elizabeth II2019-2020An Act respecting the suspension or extension of time limits and the extension of other periods as part of the response to the coronavirus disease 2019Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19)Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19)20256

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20207

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T-11.111, s. 112020[Enacted by section 11 of chapter 11 of the Statutes of Canada, 2020, in force on assent July 27, 2020.]Short Title

Short title1This Act may be cited as the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19).

Interpretation and Application

Definition of period2In this Act, period includes the time during which a licence, permit or other authorization is valid.

Effect of suspension or extension3If a time limit is suspended or extended or a period is extended under this Act, then, during the period that the suspension or extension is in effect, every reference in any Act of Parliament or its regulations to that time limit or period is to be read as a reference to the time limit or period as it is suspended or extended.

Non-application — offences4(1)This Act does not apply in respect of the investigation of an offence or in respect of a proceeding respecting an offence.Non-application — Corrections and Conditional Release Act(2)This Act does not apply in respect of a time limit or other period that is established by or under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

Purpose

Purpose5(1)The purpose of this Act is(a)to temporarily suspend certain time limits and to temporarily authorize, in a flexible manner, the suspension or extension of other time limits in order to prevent any exceptional circumstances that may be produced by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from making it difficult or impossible to meet those time limits; and(b)to temporarily authorize, in a flexible manner, the extension of other periods in order to prevent any unfair or undesirable effects that may result from the expiry of those periods due to those exceptional circumstances.For greater certainty(2)For greater certainty, this Act is to be interpreted in a manner that provides certainty in relation to proceedings and that respects the rule of law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Time Limits Related to Proceedings

Suspensions6(1)The following time limits are, if established by or under an Act of Parliament, suspended for the period that starts on March 13, 2020 and that ends on September 13, 2020 or on any earlier day fixed by order of the Governor in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice:(a)any limitation or prescription period for commencing a proceeding before a court;(b)any time limit in relation to something that is to be done in a proceeding before a court; and(c)any time limit within which an application for leave to commence a proceeding or to do something in relation to a proceeding is to be made to a court.Court orders — variation(2)The court may, by order, vary the suspension of a time limit as long as the commencement date of the suspension remains the same and the duration of the suspension does not exceed six months.Court orders — effects(3)The court may make orders respecting the effects of a failure to meet a suspended time limit, including orders that cancel or vary those effects.Orders in council(4)The Governor in Council may, by order made on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, lift a suspension in circumstances specified in the order.

Other Time Limits and Periods

Ministerial orders — Acts and regulations7(1)The minister who is responsible for an Act of Parliament set out in column 1 of the schedule or a relevant portion of the Act may make an order(a)suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under any provision of the Act that is set out in column 2;(b)extending any other period that is established by or under any provision of the Act that is set out in column 2;(c)if a regulation is set out in column 2 in respect of the Act,(i)suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under that regulation, or(ii)extending any other period that is established by or under that regulation; or(d)extending a suspension or extension.Ministerial orders — regulations(2)The minister who is responsible for a regulation set out in column 1 of the schedule or a relevant portion of the regulation may make an order(a)suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under any provision of the regulation that is set out in column 2;(b)extending any other period that is established by or under any provision of the regulation that is set out in column 2; or(c)extending a suspension or extension.Non-application(3)An order under subsection (1) or (2) does not apply in respect of a time limit or other period that ends on or after December 31, 2020.Duration(4)The total duration of a suspension or extension must not exceed six months. However, a suspension must not have the effect of allowing a time limit to continue after December 31, 2020 and an extended time limit or period must end on or before that day.Retroactivity(5)An order under subsection (1) or (2) may, if it so provides, have retroactive effect, but not before March 13, 2020, and it may also include provisions respecting the effects of a failure to meet the time limit or of the expiry of the period before the day on which the order was made, including provisions that cancel or vary those effects.Additional content(6)An order under subsection (1) or (2) may provide that(a)a suspension or extension does not apply in respect of any circumstance specified in the order without the consent of a person, court or body specified in the order;(b)a suspension or extension applies in respect of any circumstance specified in the order unless a person, court or body specified in the order decides otherwise; or(c)a person, court or body specified in the order may vary the effects of the order in relation to any circumstance specified in the order.Regulations(7)The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, make regulations restricting, or imposing conditions on, a power to make an order under subsection (1) or (2).

General

Statutory Instruments Act8The Statutory Instruments Act does not apply to an order made under subsection 6(1), (2), (3) or (4) or 7(1) or (2).

Sunset provision9A power conferred on the Governor in Council or a minister under this Act is not to be exercised after September 30, 2020.

Transparency and Parliamentary Oversight

Publication on website10(1)An order made under subsection 6(1) or (4) or 7(1) or (2), together with the reasons for making it, must be published, as soon as feasible after the day on which it is made but no later than five days after the day on which it is made, on a Government of Canada website for a period of at least six months.Publication in Canada Gazette(2)An order referred to in subsection (1) must be published in Part I of the Canada Gazette within 14 days after the day on which it is made.

Tabling in Parliament11(1)An order made under subsection 6(1) or (4) or 7(1) or (2) must be tabled in each House of Parliament within three days after the day on which it is made, unless a House is not sitting within those three days, in which case the order is to be tabled in that House at the earliest opportunity.Referral to committee(2)An order that is tabled in a House of Parliament must be referred to a committee of that House.

SCHEDULE(Subsections 7(1) and (2))Column 1Column 2ActsProvisions and RegulationsBankruptcy and Insolvency ActLoi sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité subsections 50.4(2), (6), (8) and (9), section 51, subsection 66.12(5), section 66.15, subsection 66.31(1), section 102 and subsection 170.1(3) of the ActBankruptcy and Insolvency General RulesRègles générales sur la faillite et l’insolvabilitéBoards of Trade ActLoi sur les chambres de commercesubsections 17(1) and 42(1) and (2) of the ActCanada Business Corporations ActLoi canadienne sur les sociétés par actionssubsections 133(1), 135(1), 155(1), 159(1) and 160(1) of the ActCanada Cooperatives ActLoi canadienne sur les coopératives subsections 50(1), 52(1) and 247(1), section 251 and subsection 252(1) of the ActCanada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation and Offshore Renewable Energy Management ActLoi de mise en oeuvre de l’Accord atlantique Canada — Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador et sur la gestion de l’énergie renouvelable extracôtièresubsections 31(2), 35(3), 39(1), 69(2) and 188(1) and (2), section 202.1, paragraphs 205.013(q) and 205.019(1)(p) and subsections 205.04(1), 205.041(3), 205.042(1) and (2), 205.044(3), 205.046(4), 205.059(5), 205.06(2) and (9), 205.063(2), 205.071(1), 205.098(3) and 205.1(2) of the ActCanada Not-for-profit Corporations ActLoi canadienne sur les organisations à but non lucratifsubsections 160(1), 162(1), 172(1), 175(1) and 176(1) of the ActCanadian Forces Superannuation ActLoi sur la pension de retraite des Forces canadiennesparagraph 6(b), subsections 6.1(1), 8(1), 23(1) and (2), 29(1) and (5), 41(1), (3) and (4), 42(1) and (1.2) and 43(1), sections 46, 57, 59.6 and 59.7, subsections 62(1) and (2) and 69(2), sections 71, 72 and 92 and subsection 93(1) of the ActCanadian Forces Superannuation RegulationsRèglement sur la pension de retraite des Forces canadiennesReserve Force Pension Plan RegulationsRèglement sur le régime de pension de la force de réserveCompanies’ Creditors Arrangement ActLoi sur les arrangements avec les créanciers des compagniessection 11.001 and subsections 11.02(1) and 11.2(5) of the ActDiplomatic Service (Special) Superannuation ActLoi sur la pension spéciale du service diplomatiquesection 7 and subsection 11(1) of the ActExcise Tax ActLoi sur la taxe d’accisesubsections 298(1) and (2), 303(7) and 304(5) of the ActFirearms ActLoi sur les armes à feusection 64 of the ActGarnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion ActLoi sur la saisie-arrêt et la distraction de pensionssubsection 39(2) of the ActIncome Tax ActLoi de l’impôt sur le revenusubsection 37(11), paragraph (m) of the definition investment tax credit in subsection 127(9) and subsections 152(3.1) and (4), 166.1(7) and 166.2(5) of the ActInvestment Canada ActLoi sur Investissement Canadasections 25.2 and 25.3 of the ActNational Security Review of Investments RegulationsRèglement sur les investissements susceptibles de porter atteinte à la sécurité nationale (examen)Lieutenant Governors Superannuation ActLoi sur la pension de retraite des lieutenants-gouverneurssubsections 3(3) and 5(1) of the ActLieutenant Governors Superannuation RegulationsRèglement sur la pension de retraite des lieutenants-gouverneursMembers of Parliament Retiring Allowances ActLoi sur les allocations de retraite des parlementairessubsections 10(1) and 32(1) of the ActFormer Members of Parliament Elections for Joint and Survivor Benefits RegulationsRèglement sur les choix relatifs à la pension de réversion des anciens parlementairesRecovery of Overpayments Made to Former Members of Parliament RegulationsRèglement sur le recouvrement des versements payés en trop aux anciens parlementairesPension Benefits Division ActLoi sur le partage des prestations de retraitesubsection 6(1) of the ActPublic Service Superannuation ActLoi sur la pension de la fonction publiquesections 6 and 9, subsections 10(4) and (5) and 25(7), section 39, subsection 40(11), section 51 and subsection 57(2) of the ActCounting of Service by Former Members of the Senate or House of Commons RegulationsRèglement du calcul du service des anciens membres du Sénat ou de la Chambre des communesPortions of the Public Service General Divestiture RegulationsRèglement général sur la cession de secteurs de la fonction publiquePublic Service Superannuation RegulationsRèglement sur la pension de la fonction publiquePublic Service Superannuation Special Election RegulationsRèglement sur l’exercice d’un choix spécial aux fins de la pension de la fonction publiqueSupplementary Death Benefit RegulationsRèglement sur les prestations supplémentaires de décèsRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation ActLoi sur la pension de retraite la Gendarmerie royale du Canadasections 6, 6.1 and 8, subsections 9(4) and 18(4) and section 24 of the ActFormer Members of Parliament Counting of Service RegulationsRèglement sur l’inclusion du service des anciens parlementairesRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation RegulationsRèglement sur la pension de retraite de la Gendarmerie royale du CanadaSpecial Import Measures ActLoi sur les mesures spéciales d’importationsubsections 41(1) and 41.1(3), paragraph 41.1(4)(d), subsections 42(1) and 43(1) and (2) and sections 55, 55.1, 56, 57, 59, 66, 76.01, 76.02 and 76.03 of the ActWage Earner Protection Program ActLoi sur le Programme de protection des salariéssubparagraph (a)(i) of the definition eligible wages in subsection 2(1) of the ActRegulationsProvisionsAviation Occupational Health and Safety RegulationsRèglement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (aéronefs)section 9.1 and subsection 9.5(5) of the RegulationsCanada Labour Standards RegulationsRèglement du Canada sur les normes du travailsection 30 of the RegulationsCanada Occupational Health and Safety RegulationsRèglement canadien sur la santé et la sécurité au travailsubsection 16.12(5) of the RegulationsFood and Drug RegulationsRèglement sur les aliments et droguesparagraphs C.05.006(1)(b) and C.05.008(1)(b) of the RegulationsMaritime Occupational Health and Safety RegulationsRèglement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail en milieu maritimeparagraph 111(1)(b) of the RegulationsNunavut Mining RegulationsRèglement sur l’exploitation minière au Nunavutsections 33, 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64 of the RegulationsOn Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety RegulationsRèglement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (trains)subsection 12.7(3) of the RegulationsRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation RegulationsRèglement sur la continuation des pensions de la Gendarmerie royale du Canadaparagraph 9(b), subsection 10(2), sections 13 and 16 and subsection 21(3) of the Regulations2020, c. 11, s. 11 “Sch.”2024, c. 20, s. 2142024, c. 202025-06-02