Canadian legal code on human trafficking

WHAT IS TRAFFICKING?
In Canada, there are four aspects to the law against human trafficking. A person breaks the law when they:

• Traffic or exploit a person (section 279.01)
• Traffic or exploit a person under the age of 18 (section 279.011)
• Materially benefit from the trafficking or exploitation of a person (section 279.02)
• Withhold or destroy travel or identification documents (section 279)
  

A person cannot consent to be trafficked or exploited.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL PENALTY FOR TRAFFICKING?
There are three different sentences that a person can receive in conjunction with human trafficking.

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident who commits any of these offenses while outside of Canada is still viable to be tried and prosecuted within the Canadian justice system.

What is human trafficking in legal terms?

How the law can help you

• Attempts to threaten or intimidate a survivor of human trafficking is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. (gov.bc.ca)
  
• Children and vulnerable witnesses may request: (gov.bc.ca)
  • A support person to accompany them to court
  • An order to exclude the public during their testimony
  • Ask to testify from behind a privacy screen
  • To ban their name from media publication
• Survivors of human trafficking are not required to testify against their trafficker to gain permanent resident or citizen status. (publicsafety.gc.ca)
  

Resources

Canadian National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking
Canadian Court Support for Survivors of Human Trafficking
National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking
Canadian Legal Code

1. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/human-trafficking/human-trafficking-training/module-2/laws
2. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt/index-en.aspx#toc-02.2