Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities: SOR/2025-250

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 26

Registration
SOR/2025-250 December 4, 2025

CRIMINAL CODE

P.C. 2025-882 December 4, 2025

Whereas the Governor in Council is satisfied, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, that there are no longer reasonable grounds to believe that the entity referred to in section 1 of the annexed Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity or is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction of or in association with such an entity;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities under subsection 83.05(1)footnote a of the Criminal Code footnote b.

Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities

Amendment

1 Section 1 of the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities footnote 1 is amended by deleting the following:

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (also known among other names as Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), Jabhet al-Nusra, The Victory Front, Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, Jabhat Al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham min Mujahedi al-Sham fi Sahat al-Jihad (The Support Front for the People of the Levant by the Levantine Mujahedin on the Battlefields of Jihad), the Front for the Defense of the Syrian People and the Front for the Support of the Syrian People, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Fath al-Sham Front, al-Jabha, Fath al-Sham, Tanzim al-Qaeda fi Bilad al-Sham, Al-Qaeda in the Levant, Conquest for al-Sham Front, Conquest of the Levant Front, Fatah al-Sham Front, Fateh al-Sham Front, Front for the Conquest of Syria, Front for the Conquest of Syria/The Levant, Jabhat Fath al-Sham, Jabhat Fath al Sham, Jabhat Fathah al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham Assembly, Liberation of Syria Assembly, Liberation of the Levant Organisation, Liberation of the Levant Committee, Liberation of al-Sham Commission, Assembly for the Liberation of the Levant, Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham, Liwa al-Haqq, the Al-Haqq Brigade, Liwa al-Haq, the Brigade of the Right, the Truth Brigade, Lewa’ al-Haq, the al-Haq Battalion, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Din Front, Supporters/Partisans of the Religion Front, Jaish al-Sunnah, Jaysh al-Sunnah, Jaish al-Sunna, Jaysh al-Sunna)

Coming into Force

2 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are made.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issues

Amendments to the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities (the Regulations) are required as the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (the Minister) has assessed that one entity should be removed from the list.

Background

On December 18, 2001, the Anti-terrorism Act received royal assent, amending the Criminal Code to allow the Government of Canada to create a list of terrorist entities. Under the Criminal Code, the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, establish a list of entities if the Governor in Council is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the entity (a) has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity; or (b) has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of or in association with an entity that has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity.

An entity is defined in the Criminal Code as a person, group, trust, partnership or fund or an unincorporated association or organization. A listed entity is included in the definition of terrorist group in the Criminal Code so offences applicable to terrorist groups apply to these entities. However, unlike terrorist groups that are not listed, a prosecution related to a listed entity does not require the Crown to demonstrate that the entity has, as one of its purposes or activities, facilitated or carried out a terrorist activity.

The Criminal Code makes it an offence, among others, to knowingly

The Criminal Code provides for a thorough and fair mechanism for reviewing the listing of an entity. A listed entity may apply to the Minister requesting that it no longer be a listed entity. In such cases, the Minister would determine whether there are reasonable grounds to recommend to the Governor in Council that the applicant no longer be a listed entity. The entity may have the decision reviewed by the Federal Court.

In November 2025, the Minister completed a review of 18 listed entities. Following that review, the Minister recommended that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) be removed from the list of terrorist entities. HTS was initially listed as a terrorist entity pursuant to the Criminal Code on November 7, 2013, under the name Jabhat al-Nursa (JN). JN later became HTS when its successor group merged into a coalition to form HTS. Since the Minister’s last review of HTS on November 25, 2020, HTS’s former leadership has announced the entity’s dissolution and that of all armed factions. Former HTS members have been integrated into the transitional Syrian government which is broader than what used to exist as HTS. The entity has been delisted by certain allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

Objective

The objective is to remove one entity from the list. Amending the regulations helps to inform Canadians of the Government’s position with regard to a particular entity. Furthermore, streamlining the List of Entities ensures that Canada is providing an accurate representation of Canada’s counter-terrorism priorities and aligns Canada with its allies.

Description

The Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities remove the following entity from the prescribed list of entities: Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [also known as Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), Jabhet al-Nusra, The Victory Front, Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, Jabhat Al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham min Mujahedi al-Sham fi Sahat al-Jihad (The Support Front for the People of the Levant by the Levantine Mujahedin on the Battlefields of Jihad), the Front for the Defense of the Syrian People and the Front for the Support of the Syrian People, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Fath al-Sham Front, al-Jabha, Fath al-Sham, Tanzim al-Qaeda fi Bilad al-Sham, Al-Qaeda in the Levant, Conquest for al-Sham Front, Conquest of the Levant Front, Fatah al-Sham Front, Fateh al-Sham Front, Front for the Conquest of Syria, Front for the Conquest of Syria/The Levant, Jabhat Fath al-Sham, Jabhat Fath al Sham, Jabhat Fathah al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham Assembly, Liberation of Syria Assembly, Liberation of the Levant Organisation, Liberation of the Levant Committee, Liberation of al-Sham Commission, Assembly for the Liberation of the Levant, Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham, Liwa al-Haqq, the Al-Haqq Brigade, Liwa al-Haq, the Brigade of the Right, the Truth Brigade, Lewa’ al-Haq, the al-Haq Battalion, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Din Front, Supporters/Partisans of the Religion Front, Jaish al-Sunnah, Jaysh al-Sunnah, Jaish al-Sunna, Jaysh al-Sunna].

Regulatory development

Consultation

Public Safety Canada officials consult with a number of federal partner organizations, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Department of Justice, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Canadian Border Services Agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and Global Affairs Canada, to ensure the regulatory amendment is in Canada’s national interest. No external public consultation was undertaken in association with these amendments to the Regulations.

Indigenous engagement, consultation and modern treaty obligations

As required by the 2015 Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation, an assessment of modern treaty implications was conducted for the amendments to the Regulations. It was determined that there are no modern treaty implications or obligations.

Instrument choice

The Regulations Establishing a List of Entities establish a list of terrorist entities. The terrorist listings program is intentionally built around the utilization of the Regulations, which facilitates counter-terrorism efforts and plays a key role in countering terrorist financing. Amending the Regulations is the only option to remove a listed entity.

Regulatory analysis

Benefits and costs

The application of the list is administrative in nature and the amendments to the Regulations incur minimal to no additional costs to financial institutions required to implement counter-terrorist financing obligations. Stakeholder obligations are minimal (e.g. reporting requirements to CSIS or RCMP) once these Regulations come into force. As a result, there are minimal costs associated with this amendment.

Amendments made to the list are necessary to ensure Canada actively responds to terrorist developments abroad. In addition, the listing of an entity is a means to inform Canadians and allies of the Government’s position with regard to a particular entity.

Small business lens

Analysis under the small business lens concluded that these amendments will not impact Canadian small businesses.

One-for-one rule

The one-for-one rule does not apply as there is no incremental change in administrative burden on business and no regulatory titles are repealed or introduced.

International obligations

The list of entities under the Criminal Code enhances Canada’s national security, strengthens the Government’s ability to take action against terrorists and gives effect to international obligations including the implementation of the United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373.

The amendment aligns Canada’s terrorist list with the position of Canada’s allies.

Effects on the environment

In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment (SEEA Directive), a preliminary scan concluded that a SEEA is not required.

Gender-based analysis plus

No impacts based on gender and other identity factors have been identified for this proposal.

Implementation, compliance and enforcement, and service standards

This amendment to the Regulations comes into force on the day on which it is made.

Contact

Public Safety Canada
269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P8
Phone: 613‑994‑4875 or 1‑800‑830‑3118