Canadian lawyers, teachers appeal to the Senate to reject bill that would criminalize spanking

A group of concerned lawyers and schoolteachers petitioned Canada’s Senate to reject a private bill that would essentially outlaw and criminalize spanking as a means for a parent or guardian or teacher to correct a child’s unruly behavior.

There are two separate bills, one in the House of Commons and the other in Canada’s Senate, that would repeal a corporal punishment provision of Canada’s Criminal Code dating from 1892.

As per Blacklock’s Reporter, the Québec Defence Lawyers Association wrote to the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee that “It is impossible to imagine how a parent could successfully foster their child’s development without ever applying reasonable and minimal force to persuade, constrain or protect the child.”

As it stands now, Section 43 of Canada’s Criminal Code allows parents, as well as teachers and guardians, to use an amount of force that “does not exceed what is reasonable.”...

House of Commons Bill C-273, which is An Act to Amend the Criminal Code, is sponsored by NDP MP Peter Julian, who claims his legislation is supported by the World Health Organization.

In February, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised “that the government is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the protection and physical safety of children across the country.”

Senate Bill S-251, or An Act to Repeal, would in effect eliminate this clause. According to Defence Lawyers, “Repealing Section 43 of the Criminal Code would expose parents and guardians to criminal prosecution and even convictions for minimal use of force.”