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Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. M-9)

Act current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2019-06-17. Previous Versions

General (continued)

Marginal note:Evidentiary privilege

 Notwithstanding any other Act or law, no person who obtains information under this Act shall be required, in connection with any legal proceedings, other than proceedings relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act or criminal proceedings under an Act of Parliament, to give evidence relating to any information that is privileged under this Act or to produce any statement, document, writing or portion thereof containing any such information.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 28

Marginal note:Research and equipment

 The Minister may

  • (a) conduct such research, studies and evaluations as he deems necessary for the administration or enforcement of this Act;

  • (b) purchase or lease such equipment as he deems necessary in order to carry out tests under this Act;

  • (c) have tests related to this Act carried out by any person; and

  • (d) lease or loan equipment owned by Her Majesty to any person, for periods not exceeding twelve months, for testing or research related to this Act.

  • R.S., 1985, c. M-9, s. 29
  • R.S., 1985, c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 45(F)

Offences and Punishment

Marginal note:Offences and punishment

  •  (1) Every person who

    • (a) contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this Act, other than subsection 11(1) or 27(1), or the regulations,

    • (b) contravenes an order made by the Minister under section 8,

    • (c) fails to comply with an order of the court under subsection 36(1), or

    • (d) knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in any report or application under this Act

    is guilty of an offence and liable

    • (e) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both, or

    • (f) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding one million dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.

  • Marginal note:Continuing offences

    (2) Where an offence under subsection (1) is committed on more than one day or is continued for more than one day, it shall be deemed to be a separate offence for each day on which the offence is committed or continued.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 30

Marginal note:Offence by employee or agent

 In any prosecution for an offence under subsection 30(1), it is sufficient proof of the offence to establish that it was committed by an employee or agent of the accused whether or not the employee or agent is identified or has been prosecuted for the offence, unless the accused establishes that the offence was committed without his knowledge or consent and that he exercised all due diligence to prevent its commission.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 31

Marginal note:Officers, etc., of corporations

 Where a corporation commits an offence under subsection 30(1), any officer, director or agent 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 is liable on conviction to the punishment provided for the offence whether or not the corporation has been prosecuted or convicted.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 32

Marginal note:Contravention of subsection 27(1)

 Every person who contravenes subsection 27(1) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 33

Marginal note:Limitation period

 Any proceedings by way of summary conviction in respect of an offence under this Act may be instituted at any time within but not later than two years after the time when the subject-matter of the proceedings arose.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 34

Marginal note:Venue

 A complaint or information in respect of an offence under this Act may be heard, tried or determined by a court if the accused is resident or carrying on business within the territorial jurisdiction of that court, although the matter of the complaint or information did not arise in that territorial jurisdiction.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 35

Correction of Defects

Marginal note:Company to give notice of defects affecting fuel consumption

  •  (1) Where a company has been convicted of an offence for contravening section 6 or subsection 19(1) on the basis of paragraph 6(1)(e) or 19(1)(e), as the case may be, and the convicting court is of the opinion that the dissimilarity was in the nature of a defect the result of which is that the registered fuel consumption number does not correctly represent the fuel consumption of that motor vehicle, the court may order the company to give notice forthwith, in the prescribed manner, containing a statement of the means to be taken to correct the defect at the company’s expense, to

    • (a) the person who has obtained that motor vehicle from the company for the purpose of sale or resale;

    • (b) the current owner of that motor vehicle as determined

      • (i) from any warranty by the manufacturer, distributor or importer of that motor vehicle with respect to the functioning of that motor vehicle that has, to the company’s knowledge, been given, sold or transferred to the current owner, or

      • (ii) from provincial motor vehicle registration records; and

    • (c) the Minister.

  • Marginal note:Company to correct defects at its own expense

    (2) Where the court makes an order against a company under subsection (1), the company shall, forthwith after giving notice pursuant to that order, correct the defect at its own expense in respect of motor vehicles described in the order

    • (a) in accordance with its usual warranty procedures; or

    • (b) in such manner as the Minister may direct.

  • Marginal note:Two year limitation

    (3) A company’s obligation under subsection (2) does not extend to a motor vehicle presented to the company for correction of the defect more than two years after the company gave notice in respect of that motor vehicle pursuant to the court order made under subsection (1).

  • Marginal note:Notice by publication in newspapers

    (4) Where it is made to appear to the satisfaction of the Minister that the name of the current owner of a motor vehicle cannot reasonably be determined in the manner provided under paragraph (1)(b),

    • (a) the Minister may order notice to be given by publication in the prescribed form for a period of five consecutive days in two major daily newspapers in each of the six regions of Canada, namely, the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie provinces, British Columbia, and the three territories, or by an alternative medium for any period that the Minister deems expedient, and the notice is deemed to be notice given in the manner prescribed for the purpose of subsection (1); or

    • (b) the Minister may, in his discretion, order that the current owner need not be notified and that the obligation to notify the current owner of any defect under subsection (1) has been discharged.

  • Marginal note:Quarterly reports to be submitted

    (5) Every company that gives a notice mentioned in subsection (1) to the Minister shall submit to the Minister, in the prescribed form and manner, quarterly reports containing prescribed information relating to the defect.

  • Marginal note:Idem

    (6) Unless the Minister otherwise directs, the quarterly reports referred to in subsection (5) shall be submitted to the Minister for a period of two years from the date of the notice mentioned in subsection (1).

  • R.S., 1985, c. M-9, s. 36
  • 1993, c. 28, s. 78
  • 2002, c. 7, s. 208

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations

 The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, make regulations

  • (a) prescribing anything that is by this Act to be prescribed; and

  • (b) respecting such other matters or things as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

  • 1980-81-82-83, c. 113, s. 37

Report to Parliament

Marginal note:Annual report

 The Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources shall, as soon as possible after the end of each year, prepare and cause to be laid before Parliament a report on the administration and enforcement of this Act for that year.

  • R.S., 1985, c. M-9, s. 38
  • 1994, c. 41, s. 37

Coming into Force

Marginal note:Coming into force

  • Footnote * (1) This Act, except sections 3, 5 and 11 to 16, shall come into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

  • Marginal note:Idem

    (2) Sections 3, 5 and 11 to 16 shall come into force on a day, not earlier than the day fixed under subsection (1), to be fixed by proclamation on the recommendation of the Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources.

    • Return to footnote *[Note: Act, except sections 3, 5 and 11 to 16, in force November 2, 2007, see SI/2007-109; sections 3, 5 and 11 to 16 in force November 2, 2007, see SI/2007-110.]

  • R.S., 1985, c. M-9, s. 39
  • 1994, c. 41, s. 37
 

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