Under section 269.1 of the Criminal Code, torture is a serious criminal offence that applies specifically to state actors and those acting with their authority. A person commits torture when, while acting as an official or with the consent or direction of an official, they intentionally inflict severe physical or psychological pain or suffering on another person for prohibited purposes.actes commis par des agents de l’État, ou par des personnes agissant avec leur autorité ou leur consentement.
Torture is treated as one of the most serious criminal offences in Canadian law because it represents a profound violation of human dignity, bodily integrity, and the rule of law.agissant à titre de fonctionnaire ou avec l’accord explicite ou implicite d’un fonctionnaire, inflige intentionnellement à une autre personne des douleurs ou souffrances aiguës, physiques ou mentales, dans un but interdit par la loi.
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The offence is limited to certain categories of people.
An accused must be either:
The offence also applies to any person acting with the express or implied consent of an official, or at an official’s instigation. This means that torture is not limited to the individual who directly inflicts the harm, but may also extend to those who authorize or facilitate it.toute personne qui agit avec le consentement exprès ou tacite d’un fonctionnaire, ou à sa demande. Ainsi, la responsabilité pénale peut s’étendre au-delà de l’auteur matériel des gestes.
Torture is defined broadly in the Criminal Code. It includes any act or omission that intentionally causes severe physical or mental pain or suffering, when done for one of the following purposes:tout acte ou omission par lequel des douleurs ou souffrances graves sont intentionnellement infligées, notamment dans le but :
To obtain information or a statement from the person or from a third party;
To punish the person for an act they, or someone else, have committed or are suspected of having committed;
To intimidate or coerce the person or a third party; or
For any reason based on discrimination of any kind.
Pain or suffering that arises solely from lawful sanctions, such as legitimate criminal sentences or disciplinary measures that are inherent to those sanctions, does not constitute torture.uniquement de sanctions légitimes, lorsqu’elles sont inhérentes à celles-ci ou occasionnées par leur application légale.
The Criminal Code explicitly excludes certain defences. It is not a defence to claim that:
The accused was following orders from a superior or public authority; or
The conduct was justified by exceptional circumstances, including war, threat of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency.
Any statement obtained through torture is inadmissible as evidence in proceedings under federal jurisdiction. The only exception is where the statement is introduced as evidence to prove the offence of torture itself.inadmissible en preuve dans une procédure relevant de la compétence fédérale.
The only exception is the use of this statement as evidence of the offence of torture itself.
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To obtain a conviction for torture, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:
The accused was an official, or acted with the consent or direction of an official;
There was an act or omission by the accused;
The conduct caused severe physical or psychological pain or suffering;
The pain or suffering was intentionally inflicted;
The conduct was carried out for one of the prohibited purposes set out in the law; and
et que la souffrance ne résultait pas uniquement de sanctions légitimes.
All of these elements must be established for a conviction to follow.
During an interrogation, a state agent deliberately inflicts intense physical and psychological suffering on a detained individual in order to extract information or force a confession.
Even if the agent claims to have acted under orders, or argues that the conduct occurred during a state of emergency, this behaviour may constitute torture under section 269.1 of the Criminal Code.
Torture is an indictable offence.acte criminel.
There is no mandatory minimum sentence, but courts treat torture as an offence at the highest end of seriousness.
In sentencing cases of torture, courts consistently emphasize:
Denunciation of the conduct;
General deterrence;
The protection of fundamental human rights; and
The preservation of public confidence in the justice system.
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