Canadian vs. UK Laws and Punishments

CANADA:

In the Criminal Code of Canada the laws and punishments for sex offences against minors are found under Part V sections 151, 152, 153.  The punishments are the same for each of these offences and they are as follows:

“(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 10 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 18 months and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 90 days.”

(Copied from http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-c-46/latest/rsc-1985-c-c-46.html#PART_V_SEXUAL_OFFENCES__PUBLIC_MORALS_AND_DISORDERLY_CONDUCT_488952”

These punishments are for sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and sexual exploitation.  These are defined in the previous link under the subsections mentioned.

Child Pornography laws are found in the Criminal Code of Canada under Part V Offences Tending to Corrupt Morals sections 163.1, 164, and 164.1. These punishments vary based on each particular offence and they are listed here:

http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-c-46/latest/rsc-1985-c-c-46.html#sec163.1subsec1

UK:

In the UK all of the laws and punishments regarding Child Sex Offences are located in the Sexual Offences act.  They are listed here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/part/1/crossheading/child-sex-offences

The punishments for these offences vary based on the offence.  One of the main differences between the UK and Canada is that in Canada we have different rules for those aged 12-13, and those aged 14-16. In the UK they have one section for all offences committed by anyone under the age of 18 (Section 13).

The laws in the UK regarding child pornography are in the Protection of Children Act section 1 here:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/37/pdfs/ukpga_19780037_en.pdf

and in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 160 here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/section/160

CONCLUSION:

Canada and the UK do not differ very much in regards to the punishments for child sex offences and child pornography. However, I feel that there should not be a maximum punishment for any of these offences, and there should be a minimum of at least some jail time and rehabilitation for each offender because each case differs completely from others.  This means there should be some sort of assessment when figuring out a punishment for these offenders.