The Province of Ontario has been one of the slowest in Canada to respond to their Criminal Code powers to legalize amateur mixed martial arts and other combat sports. As previously discussed, Ontario’s response to date has been silence making amateur MMA along with a host of other combative sports technically illegal in the Province.
Last year the Province proposed to legalize the following list of amateur combative sports –
-boxing
– jiu jitsu
– judo
– karate
– kickboxing
– mixed martial arts
– taekwondo
– wrestling
– wushu
Since then the Province has still not taken any formal action despite requesting stakeholder feedback.
I follow up from time to time with Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and today they advised they remain committed to “clarifying” the legal landscape of amateur combat sports.
The Ministry referred me to the following comments advising that one of their ‘sport plan priorities’ is to
- Clarify the legal status of amateur combative sport and work with the combative sport community to develop and implement appropriate health and safety measures
And that they have an ‘action plan’ to “clarify the legal status of amateur combative sport and work with the combative sport community to develop and implement appropriate health and safety measures in response to federal legislative changes. ”
Time will tell if or when Ontario will follow through with this commitment.
Combat Sports Law 