Whipping in Canada...
Unfortunately I'm not referring to whipping cream, but the coporal punishment type of whipping. I'm always learning strange and sometimes useful things in law school. Today I learned that whipping was used in Canada as a type of punishment in the recent past. Guess when it was last used?
If you guessed 1971 then you'd be right! Mr. Ziemba was given 10 lashes of the whip and imprisonment for theft. He appealed the case, and the decision was upheld because whipping was legally in the Criminal Code (at the time). You can find R. v. Ziemba on Westlaw (but you need a subscription).
It makes you wonder if the whipper had to practise first? How do you determine how hard the lash has to be?