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An issue in family and education law that has received a lot of press is that of physical punishment of children. It is increasingly seen as an unacceptable method of upbringing, a view which is not without controversy. Although many countries have enacted total bans, Canada continues to tolerate the use of "reasonable force" by teachers and parents pursuant to section 43 of the Criminal Code. In this article, the authors examine the current legality of physical punishment of a child in Canada by parents and teachers, summarizing the pertinent law, providing a history of how the legal doctrine surrounding it developed, and examining the key 2004 Supreme Court of Canada decision in Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth & the Law v. Canada (Attorney General), which, while upholding section 43, put significant constraints on its application. After offering arguments in favour of a full ban on physical punishment, they critique current efforts by legislators to repeal section 43, addressing a key issue standing in the uwv of a full ban, and recommending vi'ćm of drafting amendments to the law that would address this issue while achieving the goal of providing children with equal protection against assault.
Une question de droit de la famille el de ¡'education qui a fait couler beaucoup d'encre est celle des châtiments corporeis infliges aux enfants. Ceux-ci soni devenus de plus en plus consideres comme une methode ďéducation inacceptable, un point de vue qui n'est pas sans controverse. Alors que de nombreux pays ont promulgué des interdictions totales, le Canada continue de tolerer de la «force raisonnable» infligée par les enseignants el les parents, conformément à ¡'article 43 du Code criminel. Les auteurs vont examiner la legalite actuelle des châtiments corporeis infliges å un enfant au Canada par les parents el les instituteurs, en resumant la lot pertinente, en fournissant un historique de ¡'evolution de la doctrine juridique qui l'entoure et en examinant la decisión cié de la Cour supreme du Canada en 2004 dans Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth & the Law v. Canada (Attorney General) qui, tout en confirmant ¡'article 43, a impose cles contraintes importantes a son application. Aprés avoir présente cles arguments en faveur d'une interdiction complete des châtiments corporeis, Us vont criliquer les efforts actuéis...