Sex and the Law - FAQs
The legal age to have sex
What age is it legal to have sex?
Recently the government changed the Sexual Consent Law. Consent means agreeing to participate in an activity. This law states that a teen under the age of 16 cannot consent to sex with an adult who is 5 or more years older. But, it is not a crime for youth under 16 to engage in sexual activity, as long as neither partner is in a position of authority (like a coach, teacher or camp counsellor) and they are both 12 or older.
There is another important part as well – if someone is under 16 (but older than 12) they can consent to have sex with someone less than 5 years older than them (but the older person still cannot be in a position of authority).
It is also important to remember that any type of sexual activity has to be agreed upon by both partners.
