Canadian Competition Bureau Issues Bulletin On Corporate Compliance Programs

Development of a well-designed corporate compliance program, to guard against anti-competitive actions, has long been considered a worthwhile endeavor for any corporation. In issuing a revised Bulletin on Corporate Compliance Programs, the Canadian Competition Bureau ("the Bureau") has sent a strong message about the importance of such programs for both businesses and consumers, and has offered guidance on how companies can create an effective compliance program. A draft of this Bulletin was issued on September 18, 2014, and is available for public comment until November 17, 2014. It can be found here.

One compliance program element that the Bureau emphasizes in the Bulletin is "fostering a culture of compliance," in which executives "set the tone by their own actions and recognize that it is part of their leadership role to ensure compliance with the law." To that end, the Bureau suggests that responsibility for a corporate compliance program be placed with a