Strengthening Canada's nuclear liability regime

On January 30, 2014, a Bill entitled the Energy Safety and Security Act, was introduced in Parliament that, among other things, would strengthen Canada's nuclear civil liability legislation by replacing the current Nuclear Liability Act. The proposed legislation also includes implementing provisions that would permit Canada to join the International Atomic Energy Agency's Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage. This paper will discuss the importance of a comprehensive civil liability regime for nuclear damage to a country's legislative framework for nuclear development and will present the key elements of Canada's new legislation and the policy considerations behind them. (author))