In the wake of the tragic death of Kelowna resident Bailey McCourt at the hands of her estranged husband, her family is advocating for new laws to combat intimate partner violence.
Bailey McCourt was found fatally injured in a hammer attack in a parking lot, allegedly orchestrated by her estranged husband, James Plover, who was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder.
Interestingly, the incident occurred just hours after Plover had been convicted in an assault case from 2024, where he was found guilty of strangling and issuing threats. The victims in that case remain anonymous due to a publication ban.
Initially facing a charge of second-degree murder, Plover now faces a first-degree murder charge, although none of the accusations have been proven in court.
This tragic event has spurred McCourt’s family and advocates to press for justice reforms in Ottawa to strengthen laws protecting victims of intimate partner violence.
One significant initiative is Bill C-225, dubbed “Bailey’s Law,” a private members’ bill introduced by Conservative MP Frank Caputo from Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC, which aims to amend the Criminal Code to enforce stricter laws concerning intimate partner violence. The Act proposes that the killing of an intimate partner should automatically result in a first-degree murder charge.
Debbie Henderson, McCourt’s aunt, has passionately petitioned the House of Commons to approve the Bill, emphasizing the urgency of the situation: “There’s no need to wait. The next person affected could be you or someone in your family. We don’t want any more families to endure the horrors we have experienced.”
Additionally, the federal government has put forth the “Protecting Victims Act,” a proposed legislation that seeks to bring about significant reforms to the Criminal Code and other relevant laws to enhance protections for survivors of gender-based violence, sexual violence, and child exploitation.