Criminalize coercive control
Petitioners ask Parliament to reintroduce Bill C‑332 to criminalize coercive and controlling behaviour and require judicial and police training. The government responds that C‑332 died and new legislation will be introduced.
Why we would sign this petition
- Establishes a specific Criminal Code offence for coercive control, addressing what petitioners say is inadequately covered and enabling targeted prosecutions.
- Aligns Canada with other jurisdictions cited by petitioners, which they say provide stronger legal protection for victims.
- Requires judicial and police training so authorities can better recognize and respond to coercive and controlling patterns.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Defining and proving a pattern-based offence can be legally complex, risking inconsistent application or wrongful charges.
- May overlap with existing Criminal Code offences, creating prosecutorial duplication and legal uncertainty without clear added benefit.
- Implementing a new offence plus mandated training could demand significant resources and time; alternative reforms or supports might be more efficient.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED Whereas: Coercive and controlling behaviour is a pervasive form of intimate partner violence that can cause serious harm to victims and children; This behaviour is not adequately addressed under the current Criminal Code; Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, have criminalized coercive control, providing better protection to victims; and Bill C-332, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (controlling or coercive conduct), introduced in the 44th Parliament, sought to create a specific offence for coercive control but died on the Order Paper when Parliament was dissolved. We, the undersigned residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to reintroduce and pass legislation equivalent to Bill C-332, creating a specific Criminal Code offence for coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate relationships, and ensure that judicial education and law enforcement training address recognition and handling of coercive control.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Gender-based violence (GBV), including intimate partner violence (IPV), has no place in Canada. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to addressing all forms of GBV, including IPV. The Government’s commitments in this regard include: protecting victims of sexual violence and IPV by making murder motivated by hate a constructive first-degree murder offence, including femicides; making it a criminal offence to distribute non-consensual sexual deepfakes and increasing penalties for the non-consensual distribution of intimate images; and protecting children from online sexploitation and extortion. On October 23, 2025, the Government introduced Bill C-14, which strengthens Canada’s bail and sentencing framework to better protect victims of GBV and other serious offences. The Bill includes new reverse onuses for cases involving assault and sexual assault with choking, suffocation or strangulation; clarifies the ladder principle by directing courts on its proper application and specifying that it does not apply to accused persons whose offences are subject to a reverse onus; and removes house arrest as a sentencing option for serious sexual offences. Coercive control in intimate relationships is a pervasive form of IPV that often precedes femicides. It has been defined as a pattern of controlling behaviour that takes place over time and serves to entrap victims, eliminating their sense of freedom in the relationship. Over the past five years, various stakeholders have called for the development of a specific offence for coercive control. The Government of Canada continues to work toward ensuring a robust justice system response to coercive control. In regard to Bill C-332, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (controlling or coercive conduct), it died on the Order Paper when Parliament dissolved, so a new bill would need to be introduced in order to follow the legislative process. In the coming months, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada will introduce new legislation to strengthen protections for victims of GBV.