'Command responsibility' in document 'Canada: CAH and WC Act'

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RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION

Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act 2000

5. (1) A military commander commits an indictable offence if

(a) the military commander

(i) fails to exercise control properly over a person under their effective command and control or effective authority and control, and as a result the person commits an offence under, section 4, or

(ii) fails, after the coming into force of this section, to exercise control properly over a person under their effective command and control or effective authority and control, and as a result the person commits an offence under;

(b) the military commander knows, or is criminally negligent in failing to know, that the person is about to commit or is committing such an offence; and

(c) the military commander subsequently

(i) fails to take, as soon as practicable, all necessary and reasonable measures within their power to prevent or repress the commission of the offence, or the further commission of offences under section 4 or, 6, or

(ii) fails to take, as soon as practicable, all necessary and reasonable measures within their power to submit the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution.

Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act 2000

5. (4) The definitions in this subsection apply in this section

«chef militaire»
“military commander” includes a person effectively acting as a military commander and a person who commands police with a degree of authority and control comparable to a military commander.

Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act 2000

7. (1) A military commander commits an indictable offence if

(a) the military commander, outside Canada,

(i) fails to exercise control properly over a person under their effective command and control or effective authority and control, and as a result the person commits an offence under, section 4, or

(ii) fails, before or after the coming into force of this section, to exercise control properly over a person under their effective command and control or effective authority and control, and as a result the person commits an offence under; section 6;

(b) the military commander knows, or is criminally negligent in failing to know, that the person is about to commit or is committing such an offence; and

(c) the military commander subsequently

(i) fails to take, as soon as practicable, all necessary and reasonable measures within their power to prevent or repress the commission of the offence, or the further commission of offences under section 4 or, 6, or 7

(ii) fails to take, as soon as practicable, all necessary and reasonable measures within their power to submit the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution.

Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act 2000

7 (6) The definitions in this subsection apply in this section.

• “military commander”

« chef militaire »

“military commander” includes a person effectively acting as a military commander and a person who commands police with a degree of authority and control comparable to a military commander.

RELEVANT ROME STATUTE PROVISIONS

Article 28
Responsibility of commanders and other superiors
In addition to other grounds of criminal responsibility under this Statute for crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court:
(a) A military commander or person effectively acting as a military commander shall be criminally responsible for crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court committed by forces under his or her effective command and control, or effective authority and control as the case may be, as a result of his or her failure to exercise control properly over such forces, where:
(i) That military commander or person either knew or, owing to the circumstances at the time, should have known that the forces were committing or about to commit such crimes; and
(ii) That military commander or person failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures within his or her power to prevent or repress their commission or to submit the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution.