Following federal bills C-16 (the Protecting Victims Act) and C-225 (an act to amend the Criminal Code) becoming law, Niki Sharma, Attorney General released a statement.
“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,” said Sharma.
Bailey’s Law gets its name from the fatal attack on a Kelowna woman named Bailey McCourt. She was attacked on July 4, 2025, in a parking lot just hours after her estranged husband, James Plover, had been convicted in court on separate domestic violence charges for assault by choking and uttering threats.
“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.”
McCourt’s family and friends, spearheaded by her aunt Debbie Henderson and Kamloops MP Frank Caputo, championed Bill C-225, known now as Bailey’s Law.
“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,” said Sharma.
“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.”
Bailey’s Law, which passed its third reading in the Canadian Senate in June, aims to reform laws surrounding intimate partner violence.
It introduces separate offences for intimate partner harassment, prohibits the release of accused domestic abusers with past convictions, and automatically classifies the murder of an intimate partner as first-degree murder.
“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.”
The federal change is being followed on the provincial level here in B.C. The independent Stanton review that was commissioned by the B.C. government to systematically review the legal system’s treatment of sexual and intimate partner violence.
“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.”
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.”