Circumcision questions for Canadian Justice Minister, 1999

Contents:

  1. Letter from Geoffrey T. Falk to the Hon. Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. July 21, 1999
  2. Response from the office of the Justice Minister, ???
  3. Letter from Geoffrey T. Falk to the Hon. Anne McLellan, December 10, 1999.

#165, 7620 Elbow Drive SW
Calgary AB T2V 1K2
July 21, 1999

The Hon. Anne McLellan
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
via fax (613)943-0044
and e-mail

Dear Minister McLellan,

I am writing with some questions that I have concerning the practice of male circumcision in Canada.

As far as I've been able to determine, there is no apparent law or guideline that restricts a parent or guardian from compelling circumcision upon their male child, from birth to 18 years. Most circumcisionsof minors lack a specific medical indication.

While not all circumcisions are compelled on children for frivolous or punitive reasons, the possibility of that happening may also exist.

Here are my questions:

  1. Is there a policy to regulate genital cutting of male minors, or are there plans to enact such a policy? If not, why not?
  2. In terms of the right to security of the person as recognized in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is there any distinction that would make forcible circumcision of an infant constitutional, and forcible circumcision of a 17-year-old boy unconstitutional? If so, at what age is a distinction made?
  3. As far as I can tell, there is no legal distinction between genital cutting of male minors as performed by a licensed physician, an unlicensed third party (for example, a Jewish mohel or a Muslim cleric), or by an untrained individual. Is this interpretation correct?

The Federal government enacted a separate law to protect all minor females against genital cutting customs (mild to severe).

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]

Geoffrey T. Falk, BSc., MA



From gtf Thu Dec 9 20:51:52 1999
From: Geoffrey T. Falk
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 20:51:52 -0700
To:
Subject: Torture and abuse of animals

#165, 7620 Elbow Drive SW
Calgary AB T2V 1K2
December 10, 1999

The Hon. Anne McLellan
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
via e-mail to

Dear Minister McLellan,

Thank you for introducing legislation to impose harsher penalties on those who abuse animals. Animal abuse is abhorrent, and must not be tolerated in a civilized society.

In addition to the questions I asked you in my letter of July 21, 1999, I would like to ask you one additional question:

  1. Suppose someone were to take a newborn male puppy to the steps of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa; strap it down, force a blunt probe into the end of its penis, tear the adherent foreskin away from the glans, and amputateits foreskin.

    Could that person be charged with animal abuse for performing such an act? Would it make a difference whether or not the person used any kind of anaesthesia?

I look forward to reading your response to this question, in addition to my earlier questions. A copy of my prior letter is attached, for your kind attention.

Sincerely yours,

Geoffrey T. Falk

E-Mail gtf@cirp.org

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