It is voluntary in the sense that the industry is self-regulating. It is a peer review process. The process put in place by the CRTC is a complaint system. If someone feels that a program has contravened the code that the broadcasters created for themselves, they may file a complaint. Peers assess whether or not the code was breached. It is therefore a voluntary system in the sense that the CRTC does not enforce the code. It is the peers themselves who decide if the code was breached. Very often, the code does not contain any definition of violence. It is up to the broadcasters. It is for that reason that I say we are talking about a voluntary code.
On March 4th, 2008. See this statement in context.