How Has The Criminal Code Changed Throughout The 1960's

Throughout the 1960’s, Pierre Trudeau made many significant changes regarding Canada’s Criminal Code through Bill C-150, after earning a seat in parliament for the Liberals in 1965. This bill took major steps towards the acceptance of homosexuality, made abortion possible for some women, put restrictions on firearms, made small scale gambling okay and put a limit on Blood Alcohol Concentration when driving. Before the late 1960's, there was a strong stigma around abortion and homosexuality, he started to change our country’s opinion on this as well as some other topics. Pierre was one of the people who began proving everyone was equal and began giving rights to those who otherwise had none. He created the basis of what our criminal code

Abortion was something that many women would get done illegally in secret as most people were against it. No matter what the situation was, no abortions were permitted which led to unsafe, behind the scene procedures. If you were caught trying to get an abortion you could face two years in prison and if you were helping the lady get an abortion you could face a life sentence. Trudeau felt that in certain cases this was illogical, if it put the mother at risk abortion should be allowed. Once Bill C-150 was passed, after going through several examinations, if three professionals came to the conclusion that the pregnancy would put the mother’s physical, mental or emotional health at risk an abortion could be performed. This led to many uproars led by “pro-life” citizens who felt that getting rid of a potential baby was wrong no matter what the occasion was. Today, women in Canada have even more options around abortion as it can now be performed legally whether the pregnancy puts the women in danger or not and is taken advantage of by over 56 million women each year. The legalization of abortion in Canada was definitely started by Trudeau's Bill C-150, as this was when some women could finally take control of their bodies. This is yet another example of how Pierre Trudeau not only contributed to how Canada is run today, but also how he took a step in the direction of equality and

Once it was passed not only were wagers on horse races and midway fairs permitted, but now the Provincial and Federal Government could start lotteries to fund activities and events deemed worthy and worthwhile. For example, several years after the Bill was officially passed, it greatly contributed to the funding of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. Lotteries quickly became fun ways of helping those around us and are something that many still enjoy today. The fact that Pierre Trudeau was able to turn gambling into something that supported communities and Canadians all over shows just how innovative and involved he was in