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Addiction treatment in youth justice

C-231 An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act

Allows youth courts to delay sentencing or order addiction treatment programs for young persons found guilty of offences.

What Bill C-231 would do

The bill would amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act to clarify rules around addiction treatment programs for young persons. It would allow youth justice courts to delay sentencing so a guilty young person can take part in a treatment program, or to require program attendance as a condition in court orders. Failing or refusing to comply with an addiction treatment condition could not, on its own, lead to jail time.

Official text

Official summary

This enactment amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act in order to (a) clarify the measures governing addiction treatment programs for young persons; (b) enable, in some cases, the youth justice court that finds a young person guilty of an offence to delay sentencing to enable the young person to participate in an addiction treatment program; (c) enable the youth justice court to include in certain orders the condition of attending an addiction treatment program; and (d) provide that failing or refusing to comply with such a condition cannot by itself result in a custodial sentence.

The government's summary, printed at the front of the bill as introduced.

Kind
Private member's bill
Sponsor
Luc Berthold, Member of Parliament (Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière)
Introduced
in the House of Commons
Last activity

Where it stands

  1. ProposedSep 19, 2025
  2. Being debatedsince Oct 6 Exact stageAt third reading in the House of Commons · since October 6, 2026MPs or senators are debating it in the chamber where it started.
  3. Almost law
  4. Law

Final debate in the House

  1. First reading in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  2. Second reading in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 3 sitting days, to

    2nd reading and referral to committee - JUST: agreed to, 327–⁠0 (division 96),

  3. Committee in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  4. Report stage in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day, · 1 debate here

  5. Third reading in the House now

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  6. First reading in the Senate not yet

  7. Second reading in the Senate not yet

  8. Third reading in the Senate not yet

  9. Royal assent not yet

Exact procedural stages

Officially: At third reading in the House of Commons · since October 6, 2026.

  1. House
  2. Senate
  3. Royal assent

Debates in the House 1

Members who spoke: Conservative 2 Liberal 2 Bloc Québécois 1

Report stage 1

  1. Youth Criminal Justice Act

    · Sitting 146 · 11 statements · 10 graded

    5 members spoke

Also raised in 3

Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.

Show 3

  1. Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  2. Government Orders

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  3. Routine Proceedings

    · Routine Proceedings · named 1 time

Discussion

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Comment rules

Status, stages and votes from LEGISinfo. Debates are linked from the House's own record of what was before it. Grades are the site's analysis of each statement.