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Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46)

Full Document:  

Act current to 2024-02-20 and last amended on 2024-01-14. Previous Versions

PART VSexual Offences, Public Morals and Disorderly Conduct (continued)

Sexual Offences (continued)

 [Repealed, R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 1]

Marginal note:Incest

  •  (1) Every one commits incest who, knowing that another person is by blood relationship his or her parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild, as the case may be, has sexual intercourse with that person.

  • Marginal note:Punishment

    (2) Everyone who commits incest is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years and, if the other person is under the age of 16 years, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of five years.

  • Marginal note:Defence

    (3) No accused shall be determined by a court to be guilty of an offence under this section if the accused was under restraint, duress or fear of the person with whom the accused had the sexual intercourse at the time the sexual intercourse occurred.

  • Definition of brother and sister

    (4) In this section, brother and sister, respectively, include half-brother and half-sister.

  • R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 155
  • R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 21
  • 2012, c. 1, s. 14

Marginal note:Historical offences

 No person shall be convicted of any sexual offence under this Act as it read from time to time before January 4, 1983 unless the conduct alleged would be an offence under this Act if it occurred on the day on which the charge was laid.

 [Repealed, R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 2]

 [Repealed, 2019, c. 25, s. 54]

Marginal note:Bestiality

  •  (1) Every person who commits bestiality is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • Marginal note:Compelling the commission of bestiality

    (2) Every person who compels another to commit bestiality is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • Marginal note:Bestiality in presence of or by child

    (3) Despite subsection (1), every person who commits bestiality in the presence of a person under the age of 16 years, or who incites a person under the age of 16 years to commit bestiality,

    • (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; or

    • (b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years less a day and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of six months.

  • Marginal note:Order of prohibition or restitution

    (4) The court may, in addition to any other sentence that it may impose under any of subsections (1) to (3),

    • (a) make an order prohibiting the accused from owning, having the custody or control of or residing in the same premises as an animal during any period that the court considers appropriate but, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, for a minimum of five years; and

    • (b) on application of the Attorney General or on its own motion, order that the accused pay to a person or an organization that has taken care of an animal as a result of the commission of the offence the reasonable costs that the person or organization incurred in respect of the animal, if the costs are readily ascertainable.

  • Marginal note:Breach of order

    (5) Every person who contravenes an order made under paragraph (4)(a) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • Marginal note:Application

    (6) Sections 740 to 741.2 apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to orders made under paragraph (4)(b).

  • Marginal note:Definition of bestiality

    (7) In this section, bestiality means any contact, for a sexual purpose, with an animal.

  • R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 160
  • R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 3
  • 2008, c. 6, s. 54
  • 2012, c. 1, s. 15
  • 2015, c. 23, s. 5
  • 2019, c. 17, s. 1

Marginal note:Order of prohibition

  •  (1) When an offender is convicted, or is discharged on the conditions prescribed in a probation order under section 730, of an offence referred to in subsection (1.1) in respect of a person who is under the age of 16 years, the court that sentences the offender or directs that the accused be discharged, as the case may be, in addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for that offence or any other condition prescribed in the order of discharge, shall consider making and may make, subject to the conditions or exemptions that the court directs, an order prohibiting the offender from

    • (a) attending a public park or public swimming area where persons under the age of 16 years are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, or a daycare centre, schoolground, playground or community centre;

    • (a.1) being within two kilometres, or any other distance specified in the order, of any dwelling-house where the victim identified in the order ordinarily resides or of any other place specified in the order;

    • (b) seeking, obtaining or continuing any employment, whether or not the employment is remunerated, or becoming or being a volunteer in a capacity, that involves being in a position of trust or authority towards persons under the age of 16 years;

    • (c) having any contact — including communicating by any means — with a person who is under the age of 16 years, unless the offender does so under the supervision of a person whom the court considers appropriate; or

    • (d) using the Internet or other digital network, unless the offender does so in accordance with conditions set by the court.

  • Marginal note:Offences

    (1.1) The offences for the purpose of subsection (1) are

    • (a) an offence under section 151, 152 or 155, subsection 160(2) or (3), section 163.1, 170, 171, 171.1, 172.1 or 172.2, subsection 173(2), section 271, 272, 273 or 279.011, subsection 279.02(2) or 279.03(2), section 280 or 281 or subsection 286.1(2), 286.2(2) or 286.3(2);

    • (b) an offence under section 144 (rape), 145 (attempt to commit rape), 149 (indecent assault on female), 156 (indecent assault on male) or 245 (common assault) or subsection 246(1) (assault with intent) of the Criminal Code, chapter C-34 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, as it read immediately before January 4, 1983;

    • (c) an offence under subsection 146(1) (sexual intercourse with a female under 14) or section 153 (sexual intercourse with step-daughter), 155 (buggery or bestiality), 157 (gross indecency), 166 (parent or guardian procuring defilement) or 167 (householder permitting defilement) of the Criminal Code, chapter C-34 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, as it read immediately before January 1, 1988; or

    • (d) an offence under subsection 212(1) (procuring), 212(2) (living on the avails of prostitution of person under 18 years), 212(2.1) (aggravated offence in relation to living on the avails of prostitution of person under 18 years) or 212(4) (prostitution of person under 18 years) of this Act, as it read from time to time before the day on which this paragraph comes into force.

  • Marginal note:Duration of prohibition

    (2) The prohibition may be for life or for any shorter duration that the court considers desirable and, in the case of a prohibition that is not for life, the prohibition begins on the later of

    • (a) the date on which the order is made; and

    • (b) where the offender is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the date on which the offender is released from imprisonment for the offence, including release on parole, mandatory supervision or statutory release.

  • Marginal note:Court may vary order

    (3) A court that makes an order of prohibition or, where the court is for any reason unable to act, another court of equivalent jurisdiction in the same province, may, on application of the offender or the prosecutor, require the offender to appear before it at any time and, after hearing the parties, that court may vary the conditions prescribed in the order if, in the opinion of the court, the variation is desirable because of changed circumstances after the conditions were prescribed.

  • Marginal note:Offence

    (4) Every person who is bound by an order of prohibition and who does not comply with the order is guilty of

    • (a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than four years; or

    • (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 161
  • R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 4
  • 1993, c. 45, s. 1
  • 1995, c. 22, s. 18
  • 1997, c. 18, s. 4
  • 1999, c. 31, s. 67
  • 2002, c. 13, s. 4
  • 2005, c. 32, s. 5
  • 2008, c. 6, s. 54
  • 2012, c. 1, s. 16
  • 2014, c. 21, s. 1, c. 25, s. 5
  • 2015, c. 23, s. 6
  • 2019, c. 25, s. 55

Marginal note:Voyeurism

  •  (1) Every one commits an offence who, surreptitiously, observes — including by mechanical or electronic means — or makes a visual recording of a person who is in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy, if

    • (a) the person is in a place in which a person can reasonably be expected to be nude, to expose his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or to be engaged in explicit sexual activity;

    • (b) the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or is engaged in explicit sexual activity, and the observation or recording is done for the purpose of observing or recording a person in such a state or engaged in such an activity; or

    • (c) the observation or recording is done for a sexual purpose.

  • Definition of visual recording

    (2) In this section, visual recording includes a photographic, film or video recording made by any means.

  • Marginal note:Exemption

    (3) Paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) do not apply to a peace officer who, under the authority of a warrant issued under section 487.01, is carrying out any activity referred to in those paragraphs.

  • Marginal note:Printing, publication, etc., of voyeuristic recordings

    (4) Every one commits an offence who, knowing that a recording was obtained by the commission of an offence under subsection (1), prints, copies, publishes, distributes, circulates, sells, advertises or makes available the recording, or has the recording in his or her possession for the purpose of printing, copying, publishing, distributing, circulating, selling or advertising it or making it available.

  • Marginal note:Punishment

    (5) Every one who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (4)

    • (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; or

    • (b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • Marginal note:Defence

    (6) No person shall be convicted of an offence under this section if the acts that are alleged to constitute the offence serve the public good and do not extend beyond what serves the public good.

  • Marginal note:Question of law, motives

    (7) For the purposes of subsection (6),

    • (a) it is a question of law whether an act serves the public good and whether there is evidence that the act alleged goes beyond what serves the public good, but it is a question of fact whether the act does or does not extend beyond what serves the public good; and

    • (b) the motives of an accused are irrelevant.

  • R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 162
  • R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 4
  • 2005, c. 32, s. 6

Marginal note:Publication, etc., of an intimate image without consent

  •  (1) Everyone who knowingly publishes, distributes, transmits, sells, makes available or advertises an intimate image of a person knowing that the person depicted in the image did not give their consent to that conduct, or being reckless as to whether or not that person gave their consent to that conduct, is guilty

    • (a) of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or

    • (b) of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

  • Definition of intimate image

    (2) In this section, intimate image means a visual recording of a person made by any means including a photographic, film or video recording,

    • (a) in which the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts or is engaged in explicit sexual activity;

    • (b) in respect of which, at the time of the recording, there were circumstances that gave rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy; and

    • (c) in respect of which the person depicted retains a reasonable expectation of privacy at the time the offence is committed.

  • Marginal note:Defence

    (3) No person shall be convicted of an offence under this section if the conduct that forms the subject-matter of the charge serves the public good and does not extend beyond what serves the public good.

  • Marginal note:Question of fact and law, motives

    (4) For the purposes of subsection (3),

    • (a) it is a question of law whether the conduct serves the public good and whether there is evidence that the conduct alleged goes beyond what serves the public good, but it is a question of fact whether the conduct does or does not extend beyond what serves the public good; and

    • (b) the motives of an accused are irrelevant.

  • 2014, c. 31, s. 3

Marginal note:Prohibition order

  •  (1) When an offender is convicted, or is discharged on the conditions prescribed in a probation order under section 730, of an offence referred to in subsection 162.1(1), the court that sentences or discharges the offender, in addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for that offence or any other condition prescribed in the order of discharge, may make, subject to the conditions or exemptions that the court directs, an order prohibiting the offender from using the Internet or other digital network, unless the offender does so in accordance with conditions set by the court.

  • Marginal note:Duration of prohibition

    (2) The prohibition may be for any period that the court considers appropriate, including any period to which the offender is sentenced to imprisonment.

  • Marginal note:Court may vary order

    (3) A court that makes an order of prohibition or, if the court is for any reason unable to act, another court of equivalent jurisdiction in the same province may, on application of the offender or the prosecutor, require the offender to appear before it at any time and, after hearing the parties, that court may vary the conditions prescribed in the order if, in the opinion of the court, the variation is desirable because of changed circumstances after the conditions were prescribed.

  • Marginal note:Offence

    (4) Every person who is bound by an order of prohibition and who does not comply with the order is guilty of

    • (a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than four years; or

    • (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.

 

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