Bill S-228: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sterilization procedures)

This law primarily affects healthcare providers — including physicians, surgeons, and specialists working in hospitals, clinics, and reproductive health facilities across all provinces and territories. Doctors and medical teams who perform tubal ligations, hysterectomies, oophorectomies, or any other procedure resulting in permanent sterilization must ensure they have clear, informed, and voluntary patient consent before proceeding. The law does not change routine medical practice for consenting patients, but it creates significant criminal exposure for any practitioner who performs such a procedure without proper consent documentation. Healthcare institutions of all sizes — from solo OB-GYN practices to large hospital systems — should review their consent protocols to ensure they meet this standard.