Preliminary Examination of so-called "Honour Killings" in Canada (English, HTML)

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2018-08-29

The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Justice Canada. This paper examines three questions – what is an “honour killing”, in order to establish the definition used in the paper; where does it occur, looking at reported incidents in Canada; and why does it occur, examining the psychopathology involved in such criminal acts committed in the present day. Many studies have documented a perception among some families in communities outside of Canada that, in order to restore the family’s honour, a family member must kill the person who allegedly brought shame or dishonour to the family vis-à-vis the larger community. Although the term “honour-based killing” is widely recognized, it should be noted at the outset that the term is also controversial. This paper will provide a preliminary overview of the apparent incidence of honour-related killings in Canada through a summary of reported case law and media reports. Honour killings are not associated with particular religions or religious practice: they have been recorded across Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities. Often, honour killings…

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