Letter addressed to the Honourable Minister Fraser on Fulfilling the Promises of the CVBR
January 20, 2026
The Honourable Sean Fraser,
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canda
Department of Justice
284 Wellington St.
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8
Re: Fulfilling the Promises of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights: 10-year Progress Report
Minister Fraser,
The Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime is prepared to release its 10-year progress report,
Fulfilling the Promises of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (CVBR).
Why it matters
Since its enactment, the CVBR has become an integral part of Canada’s justice ecosystem. Courts—including the Supreme Court of Canada—reference it, parliamentary committees rely on it, and justice-sector institutions have taken steps to align policies and practices with its principles.
The problem
Despite this progress, victims’ rights remain largely unenforceable. Information is often provided only on request, training is inconsistent, safety measures are uneven, victim impact statements are frequently over-redacted, and access to restitution varies across jurisdictions. These gaps disproportionately affect marginalized victims facing systemic barriers.
How we built the report
We consulted widely with victims and survivors, justice professionals, victim service providers, advocacy organizations, federal agencies, and our Academic, Frontline Service Provider, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis Advisory Circles.
What we recommend
The report presents 24 practical, cost-effective recommendations, including:
- Making victims’ rights enforceable, with clear remedies
- Strengthening independent oversight and accountability
- Providing information automatically and in plain language
- Improving protections for victims’ safety and well-being
- Enabling meaningful participation, including fewer unnecessary redactions
- Improving access to restitution and enforcement
- Expanding mandatory training, evaluation, and monitoring
- Embedding trauma‑informed and equitable justice principles in the CVBR
We are pleased to see action in Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, to remedy many of these challenges and hope the Government will consider further action on our recommendations based on our role as a federal complaints and rights-monitoring organization for victim rights in Canada.
Bottom line
The CVBR was meant to be transformative. To fulfill its promise, victims’ rights must be real, respected, and enforceable.
I remain available to discuss the report and its recommendations in my role as Special Advisor and look forward to the Department’s response regarding next steps.
Yours sincerely,
//original signed by//
Dr. Benjamin Roebuck (He/him)
Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime