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Bill Clarifies Sterilization as Maiming Acts

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sterilization procedures)

Summary

  • Clarifies in the Criminal Code that a sterilization procedure constitutes "wounding or maiming" for the purposes of aggravated assault.
  • Defines sterilization to include severing, clipping, tying, or cauterizing reproductive organs or any procedure that permanently prevents reproduction, even if later reversible by surgery.
  • Aims to address the legacy of non-consensual sterilization, particularly affecting Indigenous and racialized persons, by making prosecutions clearer.
  • Does not change access to consensual, medically indicated sterilizations; it clarifies criminal liability when consent is absent.

Builder Assessment

Neutral

Overall, the bill is economically neutral but modestly aligns with the tenet of government efficiency by clarifying the law and potentially reducing enforcement and litigation costs. It does not conflict with any growth-oriented tenets and supports institutional trust and rights protection at minimal cost.

  • Rationale: Narrow scope; negligible direct economic effects; positive legal clarity that can streamline public service operations.
  • Suggestions to strengthen alignment:
    • Include guidance for standardized, low-burden consent documentation practices to reduce administrative costs and legal disputes.
    • Require a brief implementation report from Justice on prosecutorial outcomes and cost impacts to ensure efficiency gains.
    • Encourage interoperable digital consent record-keeping (non-prescriptive) to modernize processes without adding red tape.

Question Period Cards

No question period cards yet.

Principles Analysis

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Canada should aim to be the world's most prosperous country.

A criminal law clarification with negligible direct macroeconomic impact on national wealth.

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Promote economic freedom, ambition, and breaking from bureaucratic inertia (reduce red tape).

Protects bodily autonomy but does not alter market freedoms or reduce business-related bureaucracy.

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Drive national productivity and global competitiveness.

No clear link to productivity or international competitiveness.

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Grow exports of Canadian products and resources.

No bearing on trade or export capacity.

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Encourage investment, innovation, and resource development.

No material effect on investment or innovation; minor compliance clarity for healthcare providers.

✓

Deliver better public services at lower cost (government efficiency).

Legal clarity can streamline enforcement and reduce prosecutorial ambiguity and litigation costs.

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Reform taxes to incentivize work, risk-taking, and innovation.

Contains no tax measures.

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Focus on large-scale prosperity, not incrementalism.

A narrow legal fix rather than a broad economic initiative.

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S-228

PartySenate
StatusAt second reading in the Senate
Last updatedJun 5, 2025
TopicsSocial Issues, Criminal Justice
Parliament45