
- LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT CODE
- LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT FREE
with someone who in a position of power, trust or authority over them, such as a coach, or doctor. with someone whom they are dependent on, such as a caregiver or parent. People under 18 years old cannot consent to any sexual activity that is exploitative in nature, such as:. People aged 14 and 15 may consent to sexual activity with someone who is less than 5 years older than them. People aged 12 and 13 may consent to sexual activity with someone who is less than 2 years older than them. People under the age of 12 cannot consent to sexual activity. However, there are some close-in-age considerations – The age of consent in Canada is 16 years old. If you are unsure, stop and ask yourself this question: "Is this okay?" Age of consent You have the right to withdraw consent at any time during sexual activity.Įven if you have consented to start a sexual act with someone, you have the right to stop it at any time.Ĭonsenting to one kind of sexual activity does not automatically mean consenting to another.īe conscious of nonverbal signs of refusal, such as: Remember, the absence of ‘NO’ does not mean ‘YES’ Withdrawing consent For example, your parent, brother or sister, girlfriend or boyfriend, spouse or friend cannot consent for you or on your behalf. by anyone other than the person participating in the sexual activity. if the perpetrator abuses a position of trust, power or authority. if a person is in a state of cognitive decline (for example, dementia). if a person is impaired by alcohol or drugs, sleeping or unconscious. should never be assumed or implied even in close romantic relationships. is specific – agreement to one form of sexual activity does not imply agreement to other form or circumstances. can never be obtained through threats or coercion. The person initiating sexual activity needs to take reasonable steps to establish consent and seek it actively during sexual activity. There is no implied consent in Canadian law.Ĭonsent means giving permission for something to happen or entering into agreement to do something. Consenting partners must be capable of revoking consent at any time. Silence or passivity does not equal consent. The legal age of consent is 16 in Canada. LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT CODE
Over 55% of people in Canada do not fully understand consent when it comes to sexual activity.Ĭonsent is defined in Canada’s Criminal Code as the “voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” Legal facts about consent They also operate a number of advice services including a one-to-one chat available 7 days a week so young people can contact them about any issues that may be troubling them.It is important to know the law and understand sexual consent. The Mix provide essential support to under 25s on a wide range of issues, including sex and relationships, mental health, and financial advice.
LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT FREE
They also have a useful search tool that allows you to locate sexual health services near you, for example STI clinics and places offering free contraception. They offer a wide range of information on topics such as sex, contraception, STIs, etc. A happy, healthy digital world of sex ed: by young people, for young people.’īrook are an organisation that aim to empower young people to make decisions relating to their sexual health and their wellbeing more generally. They aim to ‘ create exciting, reliable, relatable digital content on intimacy, relationships, identity, health and wellbeing. ‘Sex’ means penetrative sex, oral sex or masturbating together.įumble refer to themselves as the ‘digital sex ed resource for the 21 st Century’. What is the definition of sex in this context? In the eyes of the law you are unable to consent to sex when under the age of 16. It is a criminal offence (sexual assault) if you have sex with someone when you or they are under the age of 16, even if you have both given consent. This is also known as the ‘age of consent’.Īt the age of 16 you can consent to sex with males or females in England and Wales. given drugs or alcohol to change their decision.
This decision needs to have been made without being: Consent is when a person freely gives their permission or agrees to something.