B.C. Securities Commission releases 2014 Enforcement Report

VANCOUVER, April 21, 2015 /CNW/ - The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) today released a report detailing its enforcement activities for 2014. The report provides a high-level overview of the BCSC's efforts to deter misconduct, protect investors, and ensure that B.C.'s capital markets function fairly and efficiently. This is the first Enforcement Report published by the BCSC.

"A key part of our mandate involves ensuring that B.C.'s capital markets are fair and deserving of public confidence," said Paul Bourque, Executive Director of the BCSC. "This report underscores the important work undertaken by our Enforcement division to pursue bad actors and protect the reputation of our markets."

The report outlines the legal powers available to the BCSC's Enforcement division under the Securities Act to investigate and prosecute securities-related misconduct. It also describes the BCSC's unique enforcement process, designed to move cases swiftly from the investigation stage to litigation.

"We have a unique approach to enforcement at the BCSC, and this report highlights that," said Teresa Mitchell-Banks, Director of Enforcement for the BCSC. "We prosecute every case where it is in the public interest to do so, and we make enforcement a function of all of the work we do, from compliance to investor education."

The report includes summaries of 22 administrative cases and three criminal cases that resulted in findings from a BCSC hearing panel or a criminal court in 2014.

About the British Columbia Securities Commission (www.bcsc.bc.ca)

The British Columbia Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:

• A securities market that is fair and warrants public confidence
• A dynamic and competitive securities industry that provides investment opportunities and access to capital

SOURCE British Columbia Securities Commission

Related Links

http://www.bcsc.bc.ca