Reform Canada's close-in-age exception law
The Issue
In 2008, Canada reformed its age-of-consent laws and introduced close-in-age exceptions designed to allow young people who are close in age to engage in consensual relationships without unnecessarily criminalizing age-appropriate relationships between teenagers. While the intention behind these provisions was to protect young people in genuine close-in-age relationships, I believe the current five-year exception for 14- and 15-year-olds can leave too much room for relationships involving a significant difference in age and maturity.
A 14-year-old and a 19-year-old can be separated by five years of age, but the difference in their developmental stages, life experiences, and levels of independence can be substantial. I believe this creates a need for stronger legal protections for younger teenagers.
I am proposing that the close-in-age exception for 14 and 15-year-olds be reduced to a maximum age difference of three years. The purpose of choosing three years is to ensure that teenagers who are only one or two years apart can continue to be protected by the close-in-age exception. For example, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old would still fall within the exception, while a 14-year-old and a 19-year-old would not.
This reform is not intended to criminalize healthy relationships between teenagers who are genuinely close in age. Instead, it would create a clearer boundary between relationships involving peers or near-peers and relationships involving a substantially older individual.
Canadian law should prioritize the safety and well-being of young people while maintaining reasonable protections for genuine close-in-age relationships. I urge the Parliament of Canada to review and amend the current close-in-age provisions to reduce the maximum permitted age difference for 14- and 15-year-olds from five years to three years.
By supporting this petition, Canadians can call for stronger and clearer protections for younger teenagers while preserving the principle that young people who are close in age should not be unnecessarily criminalized for consensual relationships.
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The Issue
In 2008, Canada reformed its age-of-consent laws and introduced close-in-age exceptions designed to allow young people who are close in age to engage in consensual relationships without unnecessarily criminalizing age-appropriate relationships between teenagers. While the intention behind these provisions was to protect young people in genuine close-in-age relationships, I believe the current five-year exception for 14- and 15-year-olds can leave too much room for relationships involving a significant difference in age and maturity.
A 14-year-old and a 19-year-old can be separated by five years of age, but the difference in their developmental stages, life experiences, and levels of independence can be substantial. I believe this creates a need for stronger legal protections for younger teenagers.
I am proposing that the close-in-age exception for 14 and 15-year-olds be reduced to a maximum age difference of three years. The purpose of choosing three years is to ensure that teenagers who are only one or two years apart can continue to be protected by the close-in-age exception. For example, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old would still fall within the exception, while a 14-year-old and a 19-year-old would not.
This reform is not intended to criminalize healthy relationships between teenagers who are genuinely close in age. Instead, it would create a clearer boundary between relationships involving peers or near-peers and relationships involving a substantially older individual.
Canadian law should prioritize the safety and well-being of young people while maintaining reasonable protections for genuine close-in-age relationships. I urge the Parliament of Canada to review and amend the current close-in-age provisions to reduce the maximum permitted age difference for 14- and 15-year-olds from five years to three years.
By supporting this petition, Canadians can call for stronger and clearer protections for younger teenagers while preserving the principle that young people who are close in age should not be unnecessarily criminalized for consensual relationships.
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Petition created on August 25, 2026