Supreme Court reinstates mandatory minimum for buying sex from a minor
Canada's top court has overturned a lower-court ruling that had struck down the mandatory minimum sentence for the offence, restoring the penalty nationwide.
Why it matters
The ruling affects how courts across Alberta and Canada must sentence anyone convicted of purchasing sexual services from a minor.
The Supreme Court of Canada has reinstated the mandatory minimum sentence for people convicted of obtaining or attempting to obtain sexual services from a minor in exchange for payment, according to identical wire reports carried by Alberta outlets.
The ruling restores a penalty that had previously been challenged and struck down at a lower court, which found the mandatory minimum unconstitutional in at least one case. The Supreme Court's decision reverses that outcome, meaning the mandatory minimum sentence again applies to offenders across the country.
The available reporting does not specify the length of the reinstated minimum sentence, the identity of the parties involved in the case, or further details of the court's reasoning.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.