Section 25 — Canada Pension Plan: Interpretation

In this section, authorized person means a person authorized by the Minister for the purposes of this section; ( personne autorisée ) documents includes money, securities and any of the following, whether computerized or not: books, records, letters, telegrams, vouchers, invoices, accounts and statements (financial or otherwise); ( documents ) dwelling-house means the whole or any part of a building or structure that is kept or occupied as a permanent or temporary residence and includes a building within the curtilage of a dwelling-house that is connected to it by a doorway or by a covered and enclosed passageway, and a unit that is designed to be mobile and to be used as a permanent or temporary residence and that is being used as such a residence; ( maison d’habitation ) judge means a judge of a superior court having jurisdiction in the province where the matter arises or a judge of the Federal Court. ( juge ) An authorized person may, at any reasonable time, for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act, inspect, audit or examine any document that relates or may relate to the information that is or should be contained in the records or books of account or to the amount of any contribution payable under this Act and, for those purposes, the authorized person may subject to subsection (3), enter any premises or place where any records or books of account are or should be kept; and require the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises or place to give to the authorized person all reasonable assistance and to answer all proper questions relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act and, for that purpose, require the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises or place to attend at such premises or place with the authorized person. Where a premises or place referred to in subsection (2) is a dwelling-house, an authorized person may not enter that dwelling-house without the consent of the occupant except under the authority of a warrant issued under subsection (4). Where, on ex parte application by the Minister, a judge is satisfied by information on oath that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a dwelling-house is a premises or place referred to in subsection (2), that entry into the dwelling-house is necessary for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act, and that entry into the dwelling-house has been refused or that there are reasonable grounds for believing that entry thereto will be refused, the judge shall issue a warrant authorizing an authorized person to enter that dwelling-house subject to such conditions as may be specified in the warrant but, where the judge is not satisfied that entry into that dwelling-house is necessary for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act, the judge shall order the occupant of the dwelling-house to provide an authorized person with reasonable access to any document that is or should be kept therein, and make such other order as is appropriate in the circumstances to carry out the purposes of this Act to the extent that access has been or may be expected to be refused and that the document is or may be expected to be kept in the dwelling-house. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Minister may, subject to subsection (6), for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act, by notice served personally or by registered or certified mail, require that any person provide, within such reasonable time as is stipulated in the notice, any information or additional information, including a return of income or a supplementary return; or any document. The Minister shall not impose on any person, in this section referred to as a “third party”, a requirement under subsection (5) to provide information or any document relating to one or more unnamed persons unless the Minister first obtains the authorization of a judge under subsection (7). On ex parte application by the Minister, a judge may, subject to such conditions as the judge considers appropriate, authorize the Minister to impose on a third party a requirement under subsection (5) relating to an unnamed person or more than one unnamed person, in this section referred to as the “group”, where the judge is satisfied by information on oath that the person or group is ascertainable; and the requirement is made to verify compliance by the person or persons in the group with any duty or obligation under this Act. [Repealed, 1998, c. 19, s. 254] Where an authorization is granted under subsection (7), the authorization shall be served together with the notice referred to in subsection (5). Where an authorization is granted under subsection (7), a third party on whom a notice is served under subsection (5) may, within 15 days after the service of the notice, apply to the judge who granted the authorization or, where the judge is unable to act, to another judge of the same court for a review of the authorization. On hearing an application under subsection (9), a judge may cancel the authorization previously granted if the judge is not then satisfied that the conditions in paragraphs (7)(a) and (b) have been met and the judge may confirm or vary the authorization if satisfied that those conditions have been met. Where a person is found guilty of an offence under subsection 41(2) for failing to comply with a requirement under subsection (5), the court may make such order as it deems proper in order to enforce compliance with the requirement. Where any document is inspected, audited, examined or provided under this section, the person by whom it is inspected, audited or examined or to whom it is provided or any officer of the Canada Revenue Agency may make, or cause to be made, one or more copies thereof and, in the case of an electronic document, make or cause to be made a print-out of the electronic document, and any document purporting to be certified by the Minister or an authorized person to be a copy of the document, or to be a print-out of an electronic document, made pursuant to this subsection is evidence of the nature and content of the original document and has the same probative force as the original document would have if it were proven in the ordinary way. No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with any person doing anything that he is authorized to do by or pursuant to this section or prevent or attempt to prevent any person from doing any such thing and, notwithstanding any other Act or law, every person shall, unless he is unable to do so, do everything he is required to do by or pursuant to this section.