Canada Moves Quickly on Corruption and Human Rights Sanctions

Effective October 18, 2017, Canada's Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law) authorizes officials to impose unilateral sanctions against foreign nationals involved in corruption or gross human rights violations. Under the current Special Economic Measures Act, the government could impose unilateral sanctions only if a grave breach of international peace and security had occurred that had resulted or was likely to result in a serious international crisis.