Bill S-206: Corporal Discipline Tag

04 Apr 2017 Bill S-206: The Bill to Ban Spanking

Bill S-206, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children against standard child-rearing violence)”, will, if passed, remove a provision of the Criminal Code (section 43) that permits parents to use limited, minor physical force for disciplinary purposes. Section 43 states: “a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a… child… if the force does not exceed what is reasonable in the circumstances.” This section – as interpreted by the Supreme Court of Canada (at paragraphs 23-25, 37 of their judgment) – only permits disciplinary force that...