What Does the Sex Offender Information Registration Act Do?
Bill C-16, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA), which came into force on December 15, 2004, establishes authority for the creation of a national database of convicted sex offenders to be maintained by the RCMP for the exclusive use of police for the investigation of crimes of a sexual nature. The registry is designed to be searchable by local police by specific criteria (i.e. geographical area, postal code area, physical attributes of offender, etc.), producing instant lists of previously convicted suspects matching the facts of a specific offence. The SOIRA will allow police to determine whether convicted sex offenders reside in the vicinity of the offence, to determine who they are and where they reside, and to decide if further investigation is warranted or if they can be eliminated as suspects. An offender convicted or found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder for certain designated sex offences must report to a registration centre (for exampl
