Colleen,

http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/10/c-484-unintended-consequences/ may be a jumping off point. for you.

It is codified in law, as Mr. Epp points out, I believe Mr. Epp is saying with this bill that he feels judicial latitude in sentencing is insufficient.

The following groups in Canada oppose C-484

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada http://www.arcc-cdac.ca/c484.htm

Link to websites of or statements from the following organizations http://www.arcc-cdac.ca/statements.html

Action Canada Population Development / Action Canada pour la population et le développement

Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes

Atira Women’s Resource Society / Société De la Ressource Des Femmes D’Atira

BC Government Services Employees Union

BC Teacher’s Federation, Feminist Caucus

Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society (CAERS)

Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies / Associations canadiennes des sociétées Elizabeth Fry

Canadian Auto Workers Union / TCA Québec

Canadian Bar Association / L’Association du Barreau Canadien

Canadian Federation for Sexual Health / Fédération canadienne pour la santé sexuelle

Canadian Federation of University Women / Fédération canadienne des femmes diplômées des universités

Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action / L’Alliance canadienne féministe pour l’action internationale (FAFIA/AFAI)

Canadian Labour Congress / Congrès du travail du Canada

Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Prairie Region

Canadian Union of Public Employees / Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (CUPE National)

Canadian Union of Public Employees, Vancouver (CUPE BC)

Canadian Women’s Health Network Le Réseau canadien pour la santé des femmes

Canadian Youth for Choice

Canadians for Choice/L’Association canadienne pour la liberté de choix

Catholics for a Free Choice - Canada

Le Centre femmes de La Mitis (Mont-Joli QC)

Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal

Centre Novas, CALACS francophone de Prescott-Russell, Casselman ON

Le centre Victoria pour femmes (Sudbury et Algoma)

Centres des femmes du Québec (various ones)

La Clinique des femmes de l’Outaouais

Coalition Against Violence, St. Johns NL

Colibri – Centre des femmes francophones du comté de Simcoe

College of Family Physicians, Gender and Equity division

Le comité de femmes de l’ASSÉ (Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante)

Le comité de vigilance IVG de la province de Quebec

Communications, Energy, and Paper Workers Union of Canada (CEP) / Le Syndicat canadien des communications, de l’énergie et du papier (SCEP)

La Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)

Conseil du statut de la femme, Québec

Elizabeth Bagshaw Women’s Clinic, Vancouver

Egale Canada / Égale Canada

L’Escale de l’Estrie, Sherbrooke

Fédération des enseignantes et enseignants de CEGEP (CSQ)

La Fédération des femmes du Québec

La Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec

La Federation des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ)

La Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ)

Federation of Medical Women of Canada

Graduate Women’s Studies Student’s Association, York University

Halifax Coalition for Choice

La Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances (FQPN) Appel à l’action

International Consortium for Medical Abortion

Inter Pares

Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative

Kitchen Table Collective/Le Collectif de Table de cuisine

Law Union of Ontario

Medical Students for Choice

Miss G__ Project, Ottawa Chapter

National Abortion Federation, Washington (op-ed piece, April 26).

National Advocates for Pregnant Women, New York. relativement aux lois sur les enfants non encore nés victimes d1actes criminels.

National Advocates for Youth

National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) / L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (ANFD)

National Council of Women of Canada / Conseil national des femmes du Canada

New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women

Newfoundland and Labrador Feminist Coalition

Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women

North York Women’s Shelter, Toronto

Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) and Women’s Habitat, Toronto (In English)

Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics

Planned Parenthood Ottawa

Prince Edward Island Advisory Council on the Status of Women / Conseil consultatif sur la situation de la femme de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Pro-Choice Action Network Pro-Choice New Brunswick

Public Service Alliance of Canada / Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada, Ottawa
Saint-Laurent Student Association

Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa

Sisyphe

Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada / la Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada

South Fraser Women’s Services Society, Surrey BC

University of Victoria Students’ Society

Westcoast LEAF, Vancouver

Women Elders in Action (WE*ACT), Vancouver

Women’s Habitat

Women’s Health Clinic, Winnipeg

Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF national)

Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Yukon Status of Women Council

YWCA

Public Service Alliance of Canada petition

CONTRE LE PROJET DE LOI C-484!
(5833 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13570276753

Oppose Bill C-484
(5255 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10524705862&ref=mf

I Oppose Bill C-484: Support Equality and Choice for Women
(457 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10353261862

SIGN PETITION ” Against Bill C-484 - Unborn Victims of Crime Act.
(359 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9448394506

C-484 is supported by these groups:

http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=5445
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/life/stories/2008/080416.html
Focus on the Family Canada

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=a9b895a6-f9dc-4022-9404-3dbd26cc0b70
Margaret Somerville

http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/national_news/2008/news_0508.html
Campaign Life

http://www.cccb.ca/site/content/view/2581/1214/lang,eng/
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

http://www.ccrl.ca/index.php?id=4950&content=League welcomes result of vote on Bill C-484
Catholic Civil Rights League

http://www.canadiansformoralclarity.com/
Canadians for Moral Clarity

http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/1395/849/
The Catholic Register

Support Bill C-484
(4503 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26129314304

Supporters of the Unborn Victims of Crime Act
(1044 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8996774538&ref=share

I support Bill C-484
(463 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25613705408

Unborn Victims of Crime Act
(34 members)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8362566121

As the sponsor of Bill C-484 in the House of Commons, let me try to answer this question. My motivation for introducing the “Unborn Victims of Crime Act” was and is to protect the children that are brutally taken away from pregnant women by violence. These are willing mothers carrying wanted babies, and some third party comes along and violently takes away both the woman’s choice and the baby that she is eagerly anticipating. In Canada, there is no charge available against the assailant for the death or injury of the child. Olivia Talbot of Edmonton was targetted specifically because her assailant did not want her to have a child. The child lost its life, but so did the mother. There were charges of murder with respect to the mother, but no charges for the death of the unborn child.

C-484 does not change the definition of “human being.” It provides for charges to be laid in the death of the unborn child using language already in the criminal code.

In sentencing, judges are permitted to consider “aggravating circumstances” but they are not presently spelled out. So in that sense, Bill C-543 changes nothing except to specify that pregnancy can be used as an aggravating factor. However, it can already be used as an aggravating factor along with anything else that the judge considers to be aggravating. However, I have grave doubts about the effectiveness of this. There was a woman in Atlantic Canada who was attacked with a SWORD which the assailant plunged into her abdominal area up to 15 times according to court testimony. He was specifically targetting the baby, but, of course, did an awful lot of damage to the woman’s internal organs as well. She will suffer the rest of her life from this attack. Several of the sword plunges went right through her body, coming out the back. The attacker was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon. So he got the maximum sentence of 15 years. However, I am pretty certain that due to the gravity of the assault, and its gruesome characteristics, he would have received the same sentence if she had not been pregnant.

I would welcome your study of the papers that I (and my staff) have prepared which are posted at my website http://www.kenepp.com. See especially the “Key Points,” “Facts,” ” Questions & Answers” and “Cases.” I guarantee that you will find these informative.

Thanks for giving thoughtful, rational consideration of Bill C-484. I think it is much more valuable than all the hysteria and mis-information that is raging. Remember that MP’s vote on the actual wording of the Bill, and judges bring down judgements based on the actual wording of the Bill.

Thank you!

Ken Epp, MP
Edmonton — Sherwood Park

Does anyone know if this is true, if it’s already codified in law somewhere, and if so, how it’s written?

I know that the College des medicins de Quebec opposes this bill; I just haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly/legally why it’s problematic.

I’m not seeing that, the focus stays on the assault of the woman.

How do you see it?

Does this amendment not still introduce (by implication) the notion that a fetus is a “person?”