Criminalization of Coercive Control: A Major Step Forward for Victims, Provided It Is Rigorously Enforced

OTTAWA, ON, April 13, 2026 /CNW/ - The Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale (a Quebec-based association of women's shelters) is presenting its brief today to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights as part of the review of Bill C-16, which offers a new approach to analyzing and punishing offences between intimate partners.

The legislative recognition of coercive control as a criminal offence marks a decisive turning point in the fight against intimate partner violence and the protection of victims. However, the creation of this offence alone will not be enough to ensure better access to justice or greater safety for women who are victims.

After meeting with stakeholders involved in several of these reforms in Scotland, England, and Australia (New South Wales and Queensland), the Regroupement can attest to the importance of accompanying this legislation with structural measures that ensure its most effective implementation. Otherwise, we risk missing out on this historic moment, which finally recognizes the unique nature of intimate partner violence.

The essential conditions for success

To ensure that the new offence of coercive control does not remain a dead letter or is misapplied, the Regroupement recommends that certain measures be included in the legislation:

1. Comprehensive training: All social and legal professionals working with victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence should receive training before the law takes effect so that they are able to recognize, document, and present evidence of coercive control.
2. Mechanism for monitoring, data collection, and reporting: Given the paradigm shift and changes in practice brought about by the recognition of coercive control in the Criminal Code, monitoring the application of the offence is an essential tool for assessing the effectiveness of the reform, preventing unintended consequences, and correcting any potential shortcomings. This mechanism should be entrusted, following the model of the Australian state of New South Wales, to a taskforce responsible for overseeing and reporting on the implementation of the reform from coast to coast.
3. Revision of the law: Based on the work of the taskforce, the law should be reviewed at regular intervals to adjust the legislative framework in response to gaps or needs identified in practice.

In addition to the measures outlined in Bill C-16, the success of the reform will depend on increased collaboration with victim services, clear guidelines, a broad public awareness campaign, and adequate funding to meet the needs of victims.

"We are already witnessing in Quebec the impact of awareness-raising initiatives offered to various police departments on officers' ability to document coercive control. These advances better reflect victims' experiences and facilitate the work of prosecutors" explains Louise Riendeau, co-head of political affairs at the Regroupement.

Canada will face the challenge of ensuring consistent implementation across the country, which will require collaboration among the provinces and territories, in order to prevent loopholes from undermining victims' rights or leading to case law that is detrimental to all victims. The experience surrounding the passage of the law on medical assistance in dying has demonstrated our ability to forge a Canadian path despite differing jurisdictions.

"In Australia, we were told that the focus on implementing the reform was just as important, if not more so, than the creation of the offence itself. We hope that the resources allocated by the government will meet the expectations and needs of victims," says Karine Barrette, a lawyer in charge of the Improving Justice System Practices project at the Regroupement.

Links:

• View the Regroupement's brief on Bill C-16
• View the Regroupement's mission report on the criminalization of coercive control in Australia (March 2026)
• View the Regroupement's mission report on the criminalization of coercive control in Great Britain (September 2024)

SOURCE Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale

Information and interview requests: Fanny Guérin, Communications and Media Relations Manager, [email protected] / 514 754-1057