Immigrant Lawyers: Bill C and Canadians Chris

immigrant lawyers: Senator Ratna Omidvar said the impact of Bill C-46, the Impaired Driving Act, on permanent residents would be huge and disproportionate to its impact on Canadians, according to Toronto Star. Chris So / Toronto Star File Photo Currently, someone convicted of impaired driving could receive a maximum penalty of not more than five years in jail, but the offence would still be considered ordinary criminality under immigration law. But advocating equal rights for impaired drivers is a delicate issue, one that some senators and immigrant lawyers are trying to tackle as the Red Chamber sits this week to seek amendments to Bill C-46, the Impaired Driving Act, before sending it back to the House of Commons for a vote. An immigrant's permanent residence status is not affected unless a sentence of six months or more is imposed. As a result, even if a first offender, who is not a Canadian citizen, is convicted and is only ordered to pay a fine, they would still lose their immigration status and be banned from Canada. However, under the proposed legislation, the increased maximum penalty to 10 years would automatically classify impaired driving as serious criminality. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.