Feds aim to criminalize threats towards health-care workers with new bill

The federal government introduced a new bill Friday that, if passed, would impose new criminal sanctions for people who threaten health-care workers, impede access to medical facilities, or intimidate people accessing health services. The legislation also would update federal labour laws to provide 10 days of paid medical leave.

The new legislation, Bill C-3, if passed would amend the Criminal Code of Canada to include new offences in instances where people intimidate health-care workers, impede access to medical facilities, or intimidate people accessing health services such as COVID-19 vaccinations or abortion procedures.

The changes are intended to make it illegal for anyone to deliberately make a health-care worker so afraid that they cannot do their job, or to intimidate someone from seeking medical help, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

“These are designed to protect our health-care workers, doctors, nurses, and those who assist these health care professionals as well as those people who need access to health care. I will be honest, I'm disappointed to have to do this,” said Justice Minister David Lametti during a press conference.

“Even this week, COVID deniers were trying to stop children from receiving vaccinations. Imagine trying to stop a child from receiving a potentially life-saving vaccine,” Lametti said. “This type of behavior is abhorrent and it's unacceptable, particularly at a time when access to health care services is more critical than ever.”