Niki Sharma, Attorney General, and Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, have released the following statements in response to federal bills C-16 (the Protecting Victims Act) and C-225 (an act to amend the Criminal Code) becoming law:
Sharma said:
“This week marks an important step forward in efforts to prevent gender-based and intimate-partner violence, with Bill C-225, known as Bailey’s Law, and the federal government’s Protecting Victims Act receiving royal assent in Ottawa.
“We remember Bailey McCourt, whose death in 2025 was a profound and heartbreaking loss, and stand with her family and loved ones. We also remember the many other lives that have been taken by gender-based and intimate-partner violence. Behind each victim is a family, a future that was taken far too soon, and a community forever changed. Their advocacy, often carried forward in the face of unimaginable grief, has helped drive change and will help protect others.
“These women’s stories, and too many more we may never hear, are why I have been urgently advocating for stronger Criminal Code tools at the federal level to better protect people at risk of violence. Many of our proposals are reflected in these new laws, including treating killings linked to coercive control, sexual violence or exploitation as first-degree murder, creating a specific offence for coercive and controlling behaviour, and strengthening how the justice system responds to victims.
“These reforms reflect the urgent need for a justice system that better protects victims and keeps communities safe, including clearer guidance for courts, stronger accountability for offenders and improved access to justice. They build on recent federal bail and sentencing reforms that address risks in intimate-partner violence, including repeat offending and serious forms of assault. I thank Minister Sean Fraser and the federal government for working with us to advance these important changes.
“At the provincial level, this work complements the changes we are making here in British Columbia. Following the independent Stanton review commissioned by our government, we are advancing key recommendations to strengthen risk assessment, safety planning and co-ordination across the justice system. In May, we brought together participants from across government and the anti-violence sector for a discussion on these risk-related approaches. And in response to the Stanton recommendations, the BC Prosecution Service updated its policy to expand guidance on testimonial accommodations, publication bans and the sharing of information with victims.
“While this progress matters, we know there is more to do. Gender-based and intimate-partner violence continues to take lives and devastate families. We remain committed to working with partners, including the federal government, advocates and communities to implement these changes, close remaining gaps and build a safer, more responsive justice system for people in British Columbia.”
Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said:
“We welcome these reforms as a meaningful step in our work to end gender-based and intimate-partner violence and hold perpetrators accountable. These steps reflect what many survivors, their families and the B.C. government have been calling for and will help save lives. We know there is more work ahead, and we will continue taking concrete steps alongside partners through B.C.’s gender-based violence action plan to close gaps, strengthen supports for survivors and enhance safety in B.C.”
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