Bill S-228, the culmination of a long process initiated in 2017 by a number of Indigenous women who denounced non-consensual tubal ligations, was passed by the House of Commons on June 15, 2026.
The Canadian Criminal Code now provides that sterilization without consent constitutes the serious wounding or maiming of a person and is punishable by up to 14 years of imprisonment.
This bill is one of several measures that seek to deter healthcare professionals from performing forced sterilizations, with the aim of putting a definitive end to the practice.
A contemporary and continuing genocide The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Missing Indigenous Children and Unmarked Graves was held in Montreal from May 25 to 29, 2026.
The Tribunal’s preliminary decision concluded that Canada is responsible for a “continuing genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against Indigenous people. In particular, the judges determined that forced sterilizations are part of a genocide that is “not only historic, but also contemporary and continuing.”
The Tribunal’s final judgment will be delivered on September 30, 2026, which is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
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