The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) recognizes the importance of protecting therapeutic and counselling records under Section 278.1 of the Canadian Criminal Code:
“Therapeutic records are records of healing, often reflecting trauma-related perceptions, fragmented recollections, or a clinician’s subjective impressions rather than verified facts…
Clear legislative direction that excludes specified therapeutic records from compelled disclosure, except with the informed consent of the victim… would enhance predictability, reduce unnecessary litigation, and allow police, prosecutors, and courts to focus of evidence of genuine probative value.”
The CACP also provided recommendations and “supports amendments that explicitly recognize the primacy of victims’ dignity, privacy, and personal security, consistent with the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
See their written submission to the HOC Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights, May 5, 2026.
