C-291 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (child sexual abuse and exploitation material) – changes the Criminal Code to replace the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse and exploitation material”.
The idea here is that the term “child pornography” doesn’t really do its job anymore. In the debates it’s mentioned that the term “pornography” is expected to involve consenting adults, that it’s perfectly legal to make/distribute it, and that it doesn’t accurately represent the crime being committed. The new term does a much better job highlighting exactly what’s happening.
Note that C-291 includes a clause where it explicitly doesn’t cancel out any previous reports/charges/rulings/etc involving “child porn”. All it does is change the term in those (and also every other Act that references it) to “child sexual abuse and exploitation material”.
Progress
C-291 passed both its Second and Third Reading votes with everyone voting in favour of it. It was then sent to the Senate and passed without change, and was then granted Royal Assent.
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