| - Marco Antico |
| Copyright© 2007 Canadian Mixed Martial Arts Association (CMMAA). |
MINOR CHANGES TO SECTION 83 ON GOVERNMENT’S TO DO LIST
by Marco Antico
Section 83 of Canada’s Criminal Code (written in the 1930’s) states that prize fighting is illegal
unless it is a boxing contest held under the authority of an athletic commission. The problem is
the use of the word boxing instead of a more generic term like martial arts. The issue impacts
what combat sports are permitted both professionally and at an amateur level.
MMAWeekly spoke with government employee Brian Ozorio in the Sport and Recreation
branch of the Ministry of Health Promotions in Ontario, Canada. Ozorio is to amateur
combative sports what Ken Hayashi (Ontario’s Athletic Commissioner) is to professional sports.
“All provincial representatives gave their input on what the amendment to section 83 should
be,” he explained. “Right now, section 83 allows a boxing contest between amateur sportsmen
to be excluded from the definition of prize fighting and thus not punishable under the law.
“The amendment is supposed to change the word boxing to any martial art. We need to make
this change because more than just amateur boxing is being sanctioned by provincial sport
and recreation branches. The proposed amendment only pertains to amateur sport and not
professional. It has been on the federal law makers to do list since before the last change in
government (January 2006).”
Mario Latraverse, commissioner of the Quebec Boxing Commission and chairman of the Mixed
Martial Arts Advisory Committee commented, “I wanted to make the change include
professional MMA, but my provincial counterparts disagreed and said it would take another five
years if I had insisted.”
Although MMA is sanctioned in Quebec, it is commonly referred to as Mixed Boxing because of
how section 83 is worded.
Hayashi stated, “The other provinces that already sanction MMA wouldn’t be so interested in
making changes to section 83 if what they were doing didn’t contravene the law. Ontario will
never sanction MMA the way it’s worded right now. We’ll have to read the amendment once it’s
enacted.
“It’s a step in the right direction. Even though it pertains to only amateur sport, there’s still a
chance that it can help professional sports. The province will require an amateur safety record
and perhaps a medical study as well.”
by Marco Antico
Section 83 of Canada’s Criminal Code (written in the 1930’s) states that prize fighting is illegal
unless it is a boxing contest held under the authority of an athletic commission. The problem is
the use of the word boxing instead of a more generic term like martial arts. The issue impacts
what combat sports are permitted both professionally and at an amateur level.
MMAWeekly spoke with government employee Brian Ozorio in the Sport and Recreation
branch of the Ministry of Health Promotions in Ontario, Canada. Ozorio is to amateur
combative sports what Ken Hayashi (Ontario’s Athletic Commissioner) is to professional sports.
“All provincial representatives gave their input on what the amendment to section 83 should
be,” he explained. “Right now, section 83 allows a boxing contest between amateur sportsmen
to be excluded from the definition of prize fighting and thus not punishable under the law.
“The amendment is supposed to change the word boxing to any martial art. We need to make
this change because more than just amateur boxing is being sanctioned by provincial sport
and recreation branches. The proposed amendment only pertains to amateur sport and not
professional. It has been on the federal law makers to do list since before the last change in
government (January 2006).”
Mario Latraverse, commissioner of the Quebec Boxing Commission and chairman of the Mixed
Martial Arts Advisory Committee commented, “I wanted to make the change include
professional MMA, but my provincial counterparts disagreed and said it would take another five
years if I had insisted.”
Although MMA is sanctioned in Quebec, it is commonly referred to as Mixed Boxing because of
how section 83 is worded.
Hayashi stated, “The other provinces that already sanction MMA wouldn’t be so interested in
making changes to section 83 if what they were doing didn’t contravene the law. Ontario will
never sanction MMA the way it’s worded right now. We’ll have to read the amendment once it’s
enacted.
“It’s a step in the right direction. Even though it pertains to only amateur sport, there’s still a
chance that it can help professional sports. The province will require an amateur safety record
and perhaps a medical study as well.”
