Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69

Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69

Citation	S.C. 1968-69, c. 38
Enacted by	Parliament of Canada
Date assented to	June 27, 1969
Legislative history
Bill	28th Parliament, Bill C-150
Introduced by	John Turner, Minister of Justice
First reading	December 19, 1968
Second reading	January 23, 1969
Third reading	May 14, 1969

The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69 was an omnibus bill that introduced major changes to the Canadian Criminal Code. An earlier version was first introduced as Bill C-195 by then Minister of Justice Pierre Trudeau in the second session of the 27th Canadian Parliament on December 21, 1967.Bill C-195 was modified and re-introduced as Bill C-150 by then Minister of Justice John Turner in the first session of the 28th Canadian Parliament on December 19, 1968. On May 14, 1969, after heated debates, Bill C-150 passed third reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 149 (119 Liberals, 18 New Democrats, 12 Progressive Conservatives) to 55 (43 Progressive Conservatives, 11 Créditistes, 1 Liberal). The bill was a massive 126-page, 120-clause amendment to the criminal law and criminal procedure of Canada.

The bill decriminalised homosexuality and allowed abortion under certain conditions. A related bill, introduced and passed at the same time, decriminalised the sale of contraceptives. The Act also regulated lotteries, tightened the rules for gun possession and introduced new offences relating to drinking and driving, harassing phone calls, misleading advertising and cruelty to animals.