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Pilotage Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. P-14)

Full Document:  

Act current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2023-01-14. Previous Versions

Enforcement (continued)

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations

 The Governor in Council may make regulations

  • (a) designating as a violation the contravention of

    • (i) any specified provision of this Act or of the regulations, or

    • (ii) any direction given under any specified provision of this Act;

  • (b) establishing a penalty, or a range of penalties, in respect of a violation, up to the maximum amount set out in subsection 46.26(4);

  • (c) if a range of penalties is established by regulations made under paragraph (b), respecting the method of determining the amount payable as the penalty for the violation, including the criteria to be taken into account;

  • (d) setting out the total maximum amount payable for a related series or class of violations;

  • (e) respecting the circumstances under which, the criteria by which and the manner in which the amount of a penalty may be reduced in whole or in part; and

  • (f) respecting persons that may request a review on behalf of a ship in relation to an alleged violation by the ship.

Offences and Punishment

Marginal note:Proceeding without a pilot — persons

  •  (1) The owner, master or person in charge of a ship commits an offence if the ship is subject to compulsory pilotage and proceeds through a compulsory pilotage area without being under the conduct of a licensed pilot for that compulsory pilotage area or a regular member of the ship’s complement who is a pilotage certificate holder for that compulsory pilotage area.

  • Marginal note:Proceeding without a pilot — ship

    (2) A ship commits an offence if it is subject to compulsory pilotage and proceeds through a compulsory pilotage area without being under the conduct of a licensed pilot for that compulsory pilotage area or a regular member of the ship’s complement who is a pilotage certificate holder for that compulsory pilotage area.

  • Marginal note:Non-application

    (3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if

    • (a) the master of the ship takes the conduct of it in accordance with subsection 38.02(1);

    • (b) the relevant Authority waives compulsory pilotage; or

    • (c) the ship is in Canadian waters that are contiguous with waters of the United States, the ship is under the conduct of an individual who is authorized to have the conduct of a ship by an appropriate authority of the United States and the conditions set out in the regulations are met.

  • Marginal note:Punishment — individuals

    (4) Every individual who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months, or to both.

  • Marginal note:Punishment — other persons

    (5) Every person, other than an individual, that commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $1,000,000.

  • Marginal note:Punishment — ships

    (6) Every ship that commits an offence under subsection (2) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $1,000,000.

Marginal note:Offence — persons

  •  (1) Every person commits an offence that contravenes

    • (a) a provision of this Act, other than section 15.3 or subsection 47(1);

    • (b) a provision of the regulations;

    • (c) a direction under subsection 46.12(2) or (3);

    • (d) a direction under subsection 46.22(1); or

    • (e) a direction under section 52.3.

  • Marginal note:Punishment — individuals

    (2) Every individual who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $500,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 12 months, or to both.

  • Marginal note:Punishment — other persons

    (3) Every person, other than an individual, that commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $500,000.

  • R.S., 1985, c. P-14, s. 48
  • 1998, c. 10, s. 154
  • 2001, c. 26, s. 318
  • 2008, c. 21, s. 62(F)
  • 2019, c. 29, s. 253

Marginal note:Contravention of section 15.3

 A person that contravenes section 15.3 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $10,000 for each day on which the offence is committed or continued but is not liable to imprisonment.

Marginal note:Offence — ships

  •  (1) Every ship commits an offence that contravenes

    • (a) subsection 52.1(2) or 52.2(5);

    • (b) a provision of the regulations; or

    • (c) a direction given under paragraph 46.12(3)(b) or subsection 46.12(4).

  • Marginal note:Punishment

    (2) Every ship that commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $500,000.

Marginal note:Continuing offences

 An offence under section 48 or 48.11 that is committed or continued on more than one day constitutes a separate offence for each day on which it is committed or continued.

Marginal note:Court order

 If a person is convicted of an offence under this Act, in addition to any other punishment that may be imposed under this Act, the court may, having regard to the nature of the offence and the circumstances surrounding its commission, make an order having any or all of the following effects:

  • (a) prohibiting the person from performing any act or engaging in any activity that may, in the opinion of the court, result in the continuation or repetition of the offence;

  • (b) directing the person to take any action the court considers appropriate to remedy or avoid any harm that results or may result from the commission of the offence;

  • (c) prohibiting the person from exercising the rights or privileges of a licence, pilotage certificate, waiver or exemption order under this Act for the period or at the times and places that may be specified in the order; and

  • (d) prohibiting the person from operating a ship or providing services essential to the operation of a ship for the period or at the times and places that may be specified in the order.

Marginal note:Service on ship

  •  (1) If a ship is charged with an offence under this Act, the summons is to be served

    • (a) by delivering it to the authorized representative of the ship or, in the absence of an authorized representative, a person in charge of the ship; or

    • (b) if service cannot reasonably be effected in the manner provided in paragraph (a), by posting the summons on any conspicuous part of the ship.

  • Marginal note:Appearance at trial

    (2) If a ship is charged with an offence under this Act, the ship may appear by counsel or representative before the court. Despite the Criminal Code, if the ship does not so appear, a court may, on proof of service of the summons, proceed to hold the trial.

Marginal note:Proof of offence by ship

 In a prosecution of a ship for an offence under this Act, it is sufficient proof that the ship has committed the offence to establish that the act or omission that constitutes the offence was committed by a person in charge of the ship, whether or not the person has been identified.

Marginal note:Party to offence committed by ship

  •  (1) If a ship commits an offence under this Act and a person in charge of the ship directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence, that person is a party to and guilty of the offence and liable on conviction to the punishment provided for the offence, whether or not the ship has been prosecuted or convicted.

  • Marginal note:Party to offence committed by corporation

    (2) If a corporation commits an offence under this Act, any director, officer or agent or mandatary of the corporation who directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence is a party to and guilty of the offence and liable on conviction to the punishment provided for the offence, whether or not the corporation has been prosecuted or convicted.

Marginal note:Offence by employee or agent or mandatary

 A person is liable for an offence that is committed by the person’s employee or their agent or mandatary, whether or not the employee or agent or mandatary who actually committed the offence is identified or prosecuted for the offence under this Act.

Marginal note:Direction to ship

 For the purposes of prosecuting a ship for contravening a direction given under this Act, a direction is deemed to have been given to the ship if

  • (a) it is given to the authorized representative or a person in charge of the ship; or

  • (b) in the case of a direction that cannot be given to any person referred to in paragraph (a) despite reasonable efforts having been made to do so, a copy of it is posted on any conspicuous part of the ship.

Marginal note:Due diligence defence — persons

  •  (1) A person is not to be found guilty of an offence under this Act, other than in relation to a contravention of section 46.16, 46.21 or 46.25, if they establish that they exercised due diligence to prevent its commission.

  • Marginal note:Due diligence defence — ships

    (2) A ship is not to be found guilty of an offence under this Act if the person that committed the act or omission that constitutes the offence establishes that they exercised due diligence to prevent its commission.

Marginal note:Limitation or prescription period

  •  (1) Proceedings by way of summary conviction under this Act may be instituted no later than two years after the day on which the Minister becomes aware of the subject matter of the proceedings.

  • Marginal note:Certificate of Minister

    (2) A document that purports to have been issued by the Minister and that certifies the day on which that Minister became aware of the subject matter of the proceedings is admissible in evidence without proof of the signature or official character of the individual appearing to have signed the document and is evidence that the Minister became aware of the subject matter on that day.

  • Marginal note:Defendant outside Canada

    (3) If the proceedings cannot be commenced because the proposed defendant is outside Canada, the proceedings may be commenced no later than 60 days after the defendant arrives in Canada.

 

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