OTTAWA – The Canadian Medical Association Journal says it’s time to do away with the Criminal Code’s so-called spanking law.
A strongly worded editorial in the journal calls for repeal of Section 43 of the Criminal Code, which gives parents and teachers a legal defence when they physically discipline children.
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Editor-in-chief John Fletcher says Section 43 is just an excuse for poor parenting.
The editorial will likely stoke debate on a controversial topic that has inflamed opinion for decades.
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the law by a 6-3 margin in a landmark 2004 ruling.
Since then, there have been a handful of unsuccessful attempts to ban corporal punishment through private members’ bills in the House of Commons, most recently in 2008.
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