Wildlife Act enforcement reviews now go to the Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada, not the Chief Review Officer

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

The Canada Wildlife Act has been updated to replace all references to the 'Chief Review Officer' with the 'Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada' (EPTC) as the body that handles reviews of compliance orders issued to individuals or organizations under the Act. Any person who receives a wildlife compliance order and wants to challenge it must now direct their written review request to the EPTC within 30 days. The ability to extend that 30-day deadline now rests with the Chairperson of the EPTC (or a designated Tribunal member) rather than the Chief Review Officer. Wildlife officers may still amend, suspend, or cancel orders up until the EPTC receives a review request. The definition of 'Chief Review Officer' has been formally repealed and a new definition of the Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada has been added to the Act.

Who this affects: individuals or businesses subject to wildlife compliance orders · wildlife officers issuing or managing compliance orders · legal counsel advising on federal environmental enforcement · organizations operating on or near federal public lands or wildlife areas