Legislation Makes Parents Liable for Damage by their Children

The BC government has introduced legislation to make parents liable in some circumstances for damage or destruction of property by their children. Bill 16, the Parental Responsibility Act, was given first reading in the Legislature today. The proposed Act provides that if a child intentionally takes, damages or destroys property of another person, a parent of the child is liable for that loss of or damage unless the parent can satisfy the court that he or she was exercising reasonable supervision over the child at the time the child engaged in the activity that caused the property loss, and made reasonable efforts to prevent or discourage the child from engaging in the kind of activity that caused the property loss.