Challenging someone to a duel or practicing witchcraft will no longer be considered a criminal offense in Canada, thanks to a new bill which seeks to update the country’s outdated Criminal Code.
Bill C-51 will remove 20 criminal offenses, such as duelling, fraudulently practicing witchcraft, telling fortunes and publishing crime comics from Canada’s Criminal Code.
Before the new updated legislation, challenging someone to a duel and accepting the said challenge could have drawn a sentence of up to two years in prison, according to Section 71 of the old code.
Advertising a reward for the return of stolen property “no questions asked” will also be repealed, as would advertising drugs to restore “sexual virility.”
However, the dueling law may not be so outdated, as earlier this week, police were called to a north Toronto parking lot after two grannies engaged in a duel with their canes.
The bill doesn’t just legalize unusual practices, it has also strengthened the country’s sexual assault laws. It includes a statement that an unconscious person can’t consent to sexual activity, and restricts how victims of sexual assault are cross examined in court.