House of Commons passes law criminalizing forced sterilization as aggravated assault

Summary

The House of Commons has passed legislation criminalizing forced or coerced sterilization, classifying it as aggravated assault with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. The law addresses a long-standing issue, particularly affecting Indigenous communities, with the Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice estimating up to 15,000 Indigenous people have been sterilized without consent. Advocates and survivors have been pushing for this Criminal Code change since 2015.