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C-270 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (defence of person)
Every bill summarized in plain language. Not clear enough? Ask for an explanation.
C-270
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (defence of person)
CPC
In progress
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BILL C-270
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (defence of person)
Last activity : At second reading in the House of Commons
CPC
In progress
Commons · 1st2026-03-12Commons · 2ndCommons · 3rdSenate · 1stSenate · 2ndSenate · 3rdRoyal assent
Sign-in required — one request per person, no anonymous requests
What it does, in plain language
- Amends the Criminal Code to add presumptions that favour a person claiming self-defence or defence of another.
- Clarifies that the force used may include lethal force, where the person deems it reasonably necessary to protect themselves or someone else.
- Applies to situations where someone has entered, without legal right, a dwelling-house in which the defender is lawfully present.
- Creates a presumption of intent: knowingly entering a home without legal right counts as proof, unless contrary evidence exists, of an intent to use force against those lawfully inside.
- Creates a second presumption: the conditions for self-defence are considered met when force, including lethal force, is used against such an intruder.
- Gives the legislation the short title "Stand on Guard Act".
- Is a private member's bill, introduced by Ms. Cobena at first reading on March 12, 2026.
🤖 AI-generated from the bill’s official text as introduced — may not reflect amendments adopted since.
✋ What does “challenging” mean?
Clicking “Ask for an explanation” is a citizen request for the bill's sponsor to explain it in plain language — and for us to keep an eye on it together.
An account (email) is required — one request per person, no anonymous requests. 🔥 At 1,000 requests on the same bill, a public post is made, in the hope an MP agrees to sponsor a petition to the House.
It works on any bill, including one that has already received royal assent — that is often the one people want to understand.
Votes in the Commons
Every recorded vote — who voted what, and by what margin.
On the “who voted what” detail — the House of Commons publishes each member's name for every recorded (nominal) vote (Yea / Nay / paired). The by-member breakdown above (the "+" button on each row) comes directly from that official source (ourcommons.ca), not an estimate. The party shown next to each name is taken from the current House roster; people who have since left the House appear separately under "Former members".
How to read a vote
Recorded vote
Members vote one by one and each choice is entered in the public record. That is what lets us say exactly who voted what — no interpretation.
Passed is not law
A passed vote clears ONE stage. A bill must pass both chambers and then receive royal assent before it becomes law.
Paired is not absent
In the Commons, two members from opposing sides can agree not to vote: their voices cancel out. It is neither an absence nor an abstention.
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Hi! My name is
Martin Archambault
I'm 45, and dossiercanada.ca is your first step into democracy!
If we want people to understand politics, it has to be brought down to their level.
When I first tried to take an interest in it, on top of not knowing the jargon, bills came as two lines… and fifty PDFs. Most people would simply walk away.
So I had an idea: use artificial intelligence first to read through all of it, then to put it in plain words. That's how DossierCanada was born.
Alongside the AI recap, I've given people a lexicon that explains the basics of political jargon. Plain-language law exists — think of this as its equivalent for politics!
Parliament glossary
Parliamentary jargon, translated into everyday language.
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