Difference between revisions of "Victims of Human Trafficking (4:VIII)"

In 2014, several changes were made to increase the penalties for the human trafficking in the ''CC''.  The changes were made as part of Bill C-36: ''Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act'' [''PCEPA''] which was enacted in response to the 2014 Supreme Court ruling ''Canada (Attorney General) v Bedford'' [''Bedford''], 2013 SCC 72.  In ''Bedford'', the Supreme Court of Canada found certain prostitution related offences to be unconstitutional. The PCEPA posits sex workers as a vulnerable group and prostitution as a form of sexual exploitation.  It also attempts to address the constitutional concerns highlighted in Bedford by including exceptions to criminal liability in order to protect prostitutes and ensure they are able to report abusive or dangerous behaviour without fear of being prosecuted.  The constitutionality of the PCEPA has yet to be challenged in front of the Supreme Court of Canada, although various groups including the Canadian Bar Association have expressed concerns that certain aspects of the new law remain unconstitutional. (See “Bill C-36, ''Protection of Communities and Exploited  Persons Act''”, National Criminal Justice Section and Municipal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, October 2014,  http://www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/14-57-eng.pdf).