House of Commons criminalizes forced sterilization
Canada's parliament passes long-awaited law making forced or coerced sterilization an aggravated assault carrying up to 14 years.
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The House of Commons has passed a law making forced or coerced sterilization a criminal offence. The measure, which classifies the act as aggravated assault, carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Survivors and advocates have pushed for this change to the Criminal Code since 2015. The Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice estimates as many as 15,000 Indigenous people have been sterilized without consent since the 1890s, with some cases occurring as recently as last year.
Some physician groups, including the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, raised concerns earlier this spring that the bill could leave doctors worried about how they treat patients in emergency situations. The bill was introduced in the Senate last year by Senator Yvonne Boyer and now awaits royal assent to become law.