Overview
- Bill C‑16 would classify murders linked to control, sexual violence, exploitation or hate as first‑degree, described as femicide when the victim is a woman.
- A new offence targeting coercive control in intimate relationships would carry a maximum 10‑year sentence, aiming to allow intervention before violence escalates.
- The package expands online‑abuse laws by banning distribution of sexual deepfakes, increasing penalties for non‑consensual intimate images, and creating offences covering sextortion and threats to share child‑abuse material.
- Ottawa proposes restoring many mandatory minimum sentences with narrow judicial discretion in grossly disproportionate cases, following an October Supreme Court ruling that struck down a one‑year minimum for child‑sex‑abuse images.
- Courts would receive guidance to reduce Jordan‑related stays by defining complex cases and requiring consideration of remedies short of a stay, drawing praise from victim advocates and warnings from civil‑liberties groups; British Columbia announced complementary provincial measures.