Minimum sentences for child porn often ignored In Canada

Courts across Canada have been issuing sentences for years that were less than the mandatory minimum for possession of child sexual abuse material, the Investigative Journalism Bureau has found.

The government announced this week it will propose amendments that would allow the reinstatement of the mandatory minimum. The announcement follows public and political outrage over the Supreme Court’s decision last month to strike down the 12-month mandatory minimum for child sexual abuse material possession offences.

But a random analysis of 100 cases between 2020 and 2025 reviewed by the IJB found that one in three sentences for child sexual abuse material possession had not adhered to the previous sentencing minimum.

While the average sentence for possession of child sexual abuse mater