The Pros And Cons Of Canadian Sex Offender Registry

One could argue that Canada’s Sex Offender Registry violates the equality before the law that Section 15 of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures. Although, I do not see this to be the case. The Canadian Sex Offender Registry operates on the basis of keeping records of sex offenders whom have knowingly committed an offence for multiple purposes. Section 15 (1) of the charter states “every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability”. Being obligated to be listed in the Sex offender Registry does

This in simpler terms means the Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not condone any program, such as the Sex Offender Registry to operate if it were to have the intent of furthering conditions of disadvantaged individuals. Individuals whom have committed sexual offences are in addition not ‘disadvantaged’ in any manner and must simply comply with consequences that follow their actions. In fact, in a survey distributed to individuals that have committed a sexual offence and whom are listed in the Canadian Sex Offender Registry, sixty-two percent of participants themselves felt that being listed was not an onerous or intrusive experience. In fact nearly half of the participants indicated registration was only a slight inconvenience and sixty-six percent of participants felt they understood the rationale and need for such a utilized system of registration (Murphy & Fedoroff,

The CSOR not only serves to have a deterrent effect, but protects members of society and aids with police measures. The registry was created in response to concerns voiced by members of communities about the risks sex offenders residing in their area. Had these concerns not have been voiced, the Canadian Sex Offender Registry that operates today would not have been of existence and thus would not serve to safeguard members of the public. Firstly, the Canadian Sex Offender Registry has a deterrent effect. It reduces the potential of a sex offender committing a crime by having their photos, names, and addresses on file. Knowing such, would prevent a sex offender from re-offending as she/he would acknowledge the fact that they would be caught. Secondly, the CSOR ensures the community in which a listed sex offender resides, remains safe. With the public knowing that these offenders are listed in the CSOR and the registry itself serves as a deterrent, they can be at ease that the likelihood of these individuals reoffending is slim. Lastly, for police, the CSOR provides useful information about sex offenders, and in the case of a sex crime being committed, enables police officers to locate them (Goff, 2014) .The registries database enables police to search for various criteria, such as to search a geographical region based on the location in