The BC Humanist Association today urged a House of Commons committee to see the speedy passage of Bill C-273, which would repeal a section of the Criminal Code that permits the corporal punishment of children.
The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is considering the bill, which would implement the sixth call to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report. Many experts in child development and child's rights organizations have already testified to the committee about the irreparable harm that can be caused by corporal punishment or "spanking."
In its brief, the BCHA argues that the primary excuse for permitting corporal punishment against children is religious. They point out that the one brief strongly opposing the bill comes from a religious organization that claims on its website that "The authority within the family is derived not from the government but from God who created and instituted the family." Notably, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled a law with no secular purpose cannot be constitutional.