Bank Act (S.C. 1991, c. 46)

Marginal note:Powers suspended

• 649 (1) If the Superintendent takes control of a bank under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(iii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(d), the powers, duties, functions, rights and privileges of the directors of the bank and of the officers of the bank responsible for its management are suspended. If the bank is a federal credit union, the powers of the members to make, amend or repeal by-laws are also suspended.

• Marginal note:Superintendent to manage bank

  (2) If the Superintendent takes control of a bank under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(iii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(d), the Superintendent shall manage the business and affairs of the bank and in doing so the Superintendent

  • (a) may perform any of the duties and functions that the persons referred to in subsection (1) were performing prior to the taking of control; and

  • (b) has and may exercise any power, right or privilege that any such person had or could have exercised prior to the taking of control.

• Marginal note:Persons to assist

  (3) If the Superintendent takes control of a bank under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(iii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(d), the Superintendent may appoint one or more persons to assist in the management of the bank.

Marginal note:Expiration of control

• 650 (1) Control by the Superintendent under subsection 648(1) of a bank or of the assets of a bank expires on the day on which a notice by the Superintendent is sent to the directors and officers who conducted the business and affairs of the bank stating that the Superintendent is of the opinion that the circumstances leading to the taking of control by the Superintendent have been substantially rectified and that the bank can resume control of its business and affairs.

• Marginal note:Expiration of control — Minister’s direction

  (2) Control by the Superintendent under subsection 648(1.11) of a bank or of the assets of a bank expires on the day on which a notice by the Superintendent is sent to the directors and officers who conducted the business and affairs of the bank stating that the Minister is of the opinion, on the recommendation of the Superintendant, that corrective measures have been taken in response to the reasons related to national security and that the bank can resume control of its business and affairs.

Marginal note:Superintendent may request winding-up

651 The Superintendent may, at any time before the receipt of a request under section 652 to relinquish control of a bank or of the assets of a bank, request the Attorney General of Canada to apply for a winding-up order under section 10.1 of the Winding-up and Restructuring Act in respect of the bank, where

• (a) the assets of the bank are under the control of the Superintendent under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(i) or (ii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(b) or (c); or

• (b) the bank is under the control of the Superintendent under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(iii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(d).

Marginal note:Requirement to relinquish control

652 If no action has been taken by the Superintendent under section 651 and, after 30 days following the taking of control by the Superintendent under subsection 648(1) or (1.11) of a bank or of the assets of a bank, the Superintendent receives from its board of directors a notice in writing requesting the Superintendent to relinquish control, the Superintendent shall, not later than 12 days after receipt of the notice,

• (a) comply with the request; or

• (b) request the Attorney General of Canada to apply for a winding-up order under section 10.1 of the Winding-up and Restructuring Act in respect of the bank.

Marginal note:Advisory committee

653 The Superintendent may, from among the banks and authorized foreign banks that are subject to an assessment under section 23 of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act and required to share in the expenses resulting from the taking of control of a bank under subsection 648(1) or (1.11), appoint a committee of not more than six members to advise the Superintendent in respect of assets, management and all other matters pertinent to the duties and responsibilities of the Superintendent in exercising control of the bank.

Marginal note:Expenses payable by bank

• 654 (1) If the Superintendent has taken control of a bank under subparagraph 648(1)(b)(iii) or paragraph 648(1.11)(d) and the control expires or is relinquished under section 650 or paragraph 652(a), the Superintendent may direct that the bank be liable for repayment of all or part of the expenses resulting from the taking of control of the bank and assessed against and paid by other banks and by authorized foreign banks under section 23 of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act, together with any interest in respect of the expenses at any rate that is specified by the Superintendent.

• Marginal note:Debt due to Her Majesty

  (2) Where any direction is made under subsection (1), the amount for which the bank is liable is a debt due to Her Majesty in right of Canada payable on demand and is recoverable in the Federal Court or any other court of competent jurisdiction.

Marginal note:Priority of claim in liquidation

655 In the case of the winding-up of a bank, the expenses resulting from the taking of control of the bank under subsection 648(1) or (1.11) and assessed against and paid by other banks and by authorized foreign banks under section 23 of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act, and interest in respect of the expenses at any rate that is specified by the Superintendent, constitute a claim of His Majesty in right of Canada against the assets of the bank that ranks after all other claims but prior to any claim in respect of the shares or membership shares of the bank.

Marginal note:Application of assessment

656 Any amount recovered pursuant to section 654 or 655 shall be applied to reduce the total amount of expenses incurred for or in connection with the administration of this Act.

PART XIVRegulation of Banks and External Complaints Bodies — Commissioner

Marginal note:Required information

657 A bank, authorized foreign bank or external complaints body must provide the Commissioner with the information at the times and in the form that he or she may require for the purposes of the administration of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act and the consumer provisions.

Marginal note:Confidential information

• 658 (1) Subject to subsection (2), information regarding the business or affairs of a bank, authorized foreign bank or external complaints body or regarding persons dealing with any of them that is obtained by the Commissioner or by any person acting under the Commissioner’s direction, in the course of the exercise or performance of powers, duties and functions referred to in subsection 5(1) of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act, and any information prepared from that information, is confidential and shall be treated accordingly.

• Marginal note:Disclosure permitted

  (2) If the Commissioner is satisfied that the information will be treated as confidential by the agency, body or person to whom it is disclosed, subsection (1) does not prevent the Commissioner from disclosing it

  • (a) to any government agency or body that regulates or supervises financial institutions, for purposes related to that regulation or supervision;

  • (b) to any other agency or body that regulates or supervises financial institutions, for purposes related to that regulation or supervision;

  • (c) to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, for purposes related to its operation; and

  • (d) to the Deputy Minister of Finance or any officer of the Department of Finance authorized in writing by the Deputy Minister of Finance or to the Governor of the Bank of Canada or any officer of the Bank of Canada authorized in writing by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, for the purposes of policy analysis related to the regulation of financial institutions.

Marginal note:Examination of banks

• 659 (1) The Commissioner, from time to time but at least once in each calendar year, shall make or cause to be made any examination and inquiry that the Commissioner considers necessary for the purposes of satisfying the Commissioner that the applicable consumer provisions are being complied with and, after the conclusion of each examination and inquiry, shall report on it to the Minister.

• Marginal note:Special audit

  (1.1) The Commissioner may direct that a special audit be made in accordance with any terms and conditions that he or she considers appropriate if, in the opinion of the Commissioner, it is required for the purposes of the administration of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act and the consumer provisions, and may appoint for that purpose

  • (a) with respect to a bank or an authorized foreign bank, a firm of accountants qualified under subsection 315(1); and

  • (b) with respect to the external complaints body, a firm of accountants, as defined in section 313.

• Marginal note:Report to Commissioner

  (1.2) If a bank, an authorized foreign bank or the external complaints body is the subject of a special audit, it shall provide the Commissioner with the results of the audit.

• Marginal note:Expenses payable

  (1.3) The expenses incurred in respect of any special audit are payable by the bank, the authorized foreign bank or the external complaints body that is the subject of the audit.

• Marginal note:Access to records of bank

  (2) The Commissioner, or a person acting under the Commissioner’s direction, in carrying out his or her duties under this section

  • (a) has a right of access to any records, including electronic records, of a bank, authorized foreign bank or external complaints body; and

  • (b) may require the directors or officers of a bank, authorized foreign bank or external complaints body to provide information and explanations, to the extent that they are reasonably able to do so, in respect of any matter subject to examination, inquiry or audit under this section.

Marginal note:Power of Commissioner on inquiry

660 The Commissioner, in carrying out his or her duties in relation to consumer provisions, has all the powers of a person appointed as a commissioner under Part II of the Inquiries Act for the purpose of obtaining evidence under oath, and may delegate those powers to any person acting under the Commissioner’s direction.

Marginal note:Compliance agreement

661 The Commissioner may enter into an agreement, called a “compliance agreement”, with a bank, an authorized foreign bank or the external complaints body for the purposes of implementing any measure that is designed so as to further compliance by it with the consumer provisions.

Marginal note:Commissioner’s directions

• 661.1 (1) If, in the opinion of the Commissioner, a bank, authorized foreign bank or person, in conducting the business of the bank or authorized foreign bank, fails to comply, or there are reasonable grounds to believe that the bank, authorized foreign bank or person will fail to comply, with a compliance agreement, a consumer provision or this Part, the Commissioner may direct the bank, authorized foreign bank or person to comply with them and to perform any act that in the opinion of the Commissioner is necessary to do so.

• Marginal note:Directions — external complaints body

  (1.1) If, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the external complaints body fails, or there are reasonable grounds to believe that it will fail, to comply with a compliance agreement or any of paragraphs 627.49(b) to (m) or to discharge its functions and perform its activities in a manner that is consistent with the purpose set out in section 627.471, the Commissioner may direct the external complaints body to comply with them or to so discharge its functions and perform its activities and to perform any act that in the opinion of the Commissioner is necessary to do so.

• Marginal note:Opportunity for representations

  (2) Subject to subsection (3), no direction shall be issued under subsection (1) or (1.1) unless the bank, authorized foreign bank or person or the external complaints body is provided with a reasonable opportunity to make representations in respect of the matter.

• Marginal note:Temporary direction

  (3) If, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the length of time required for representations to be made under subsection (2) might be prejudicial to the public interest, the Commissioner may make a temporary direction with respect to the matters referred to in subsection (1) or (1.1) that has effect for a period of not more than 15 days.

• Marginal note:Continued effect

  (4) A temporary direction under subsection (3) continues to have effect after the end of the 15-day period referred to in that subsection if no representations are made to the Commissioner within that period or, if representations have been made, the Commissioner notifies the bank, authorized foreign bank, person or external complaints body that the Commissioner is not satisfied that there are sufficient grounds for revoking the direction.

Marginal note:Court enforcement

• 661.2 (1) If a bank, authorized foreign bank or person, in conducting the business of the bank or authorized foreign bank, contravenes or fails to comply with a compliance agreement or a direction made under subsection 661.1(1) or (3), contravenes this Act or omits to do any thing that is required to be done under this Act by or on the part of the bank, authorized foreign bank or person, the Commissioner may, in addition to any other action that may be taken under this Act, apply to a court for an order requiring the bank, authorized foreign bank or person to comply with the compliance agreement or the direction, cease the contravention or do any thing that is required to be done, and on the application the court may so order and make any other order it thinks fit.

• Marginal note:Court enforcement — external complaints body

  (1.1) If the external complaints body contravenes or fails to comply with a compliance agreement, any of paragraphs 627.49(b) to (m) or a direction made under subsection 661.1(1.1) or (3), the Commissioner may, in addition to any other action that may be taken under this Act, apply to a court for an order requiring the external complaints body to comply with the compliance agreement or the direction, cease the contravention or do any thing that is required to be done, and on the application the court may so order and make any other order it thinks fit.

• Marginal note:Appeal

  (2) An appeal from a decision of a court under subsection (1) or (1.1) lies in the same manner, and to the same court, as an appeal from any other order of the court.