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Crime & safety

Criminal Code and victim rights changes

C-16 Protecting Victims Act: An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures)

Creates a criminal offence for coercive control against an intimate partner and expands rights and protections for crime victims.

What the law does

The law amends the Criminal Code to create a new offence for coercive or controlling conduct toward an intimate partner. It classifies intimate partner murders linked to controlling conduct or sexual violence as first-degree murder, and expands the offence of sharing intimate images without consent to cover realistic depictions. The law also gives victims automatic access to information about their cases, bars people suspected of domestic violence or stalking from holding firearms licences, and makes other changes across the justice system.

Official text

Official summary

This enactment amends various Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters. It amends the Criminal Code to, among other things, (a) create a new offence that prohibits engaging in a pattern of coercive or controlling conduct toward an intimate partner; (b) provide that, in the following circumstances, murder — known as femicide when committed against a female person — is murder in the first degree: (i) the murder is committed against an intimate partner in the context of a pattern of coercive or controlling conduct, (ii) the murder is committed in the context of sexual violence, (iii) the murder is committed in the context of human trafficking, or (iv) the murder is motivated by hate; (c) provide that, if an offender commits manslaughter in those circumstances, the court must consider whether to impose a sentence of imprisonment for life on the offender and, if that sentence is imposed, an adult offender is ineligible for parole for 10 to 25 years; (d) remove from the criminal harassment offence the requirement to prove that the victim subjectively feared for their safety and replace it with a requirement to prove that the harassing conduct could reasonably be expected to cause the victim to believe that someone’s safety is threatened; (e) amend the offence of non-consensual distribution of an intimate image to include, among such images, a visual representation showing an identifiable person depicted as nude, as exposing their sexual organs or as engaged in explicit sexual activity, if the depiction is likely to be mistaken for a visual recording of that person; (f) amend certain existing child sexual offences to include prohibiting a person from inviting a child to expose their own sexual organs for a sexual purpose; (g) criminalize the distribution of visual representations of bestiality; (h) create a new offence relating to the recruitment of a person under 18 years of age to be a party to an offence; (i) provide that victims of certain offences, such as offences in the commission of which violence was used, threatened or attempted against an intimate partner, are entitled to testimonial aids; (j) permit courts to order that an offender serve a period of imprisonment below a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, but only if the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment would amount to cruel and unusual punishment for that particular offender; (k) create a new Part establishing a framework for applying alternative measures and restorative justice processes in appropriate cases; (l) create a new Part in respect of unreasonable delay that requires a court to consider specific factors in relation to case complexity, directs a court to exclude time periods in respect of specific applications and requires that a stay of proceedings be ordered only if a court is satisfied, taking into account a list of factors, that no other remedy would be appropriate and just; (m) streamline and strengthen the procedural rules in sexual offence trials that govern when evidence of a complainant’s past sexual activity can be adduced and when certain private records, including therapeutic records, can be produced or adduced; and (n) allow the possibility of using affidavit evidence for certain cases involving identity theft and identity fraud.

The enactment also makes consequential amendments to other Acts. The enactment also amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act to, among other things, (a) ensure that it better reflects the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights with respect to the rights and interests of victims; (b) modernize the principle requiring consideration of the needs of young persons, including by requiring particular attention to those of Aboriginal and Black young persons; and (c) allow youth justice courts to order that a young person enter into a recognizance if there is a reasonable fear that the young person will commit a child sexual offence. The enactment also amends the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights to (a) modify the preamble to affirm the importance of victim-centred and trauma-informed approaches; (b) provide victims with the right to be treated with respect, courtesy, compassion and fairness; (c) enable victims to receive information without being required to make a request; (d) provide that victims have the right to receive information about their rights under that Act and the protection measures that are available to them; (e) broaden the information that victims have the right to receive about available restorative justice processes; and (f) clarify the right of victims to present a victim impact statement at sentencing and a victim statement for consideration when decisions regarding parole or corrections are made about the offender who harmed them. The enactment also amends the National Defence Act to, among other things, (a) provide that victims of certain offences, such as offences in the commission of which violence was used, threatened or attempted against an intimate partner, are entitled to testimonial aids; (b) create a new Division in respect of unreasonable delay that requires a court martial to consider specific factors in relation to case complexity, directs a court martial to exclude time periods in respect of specific applications and requires that a stay of proceedings be ordered only if a court martial is satisfied, taking into account a list of factors, that no other remedy would be appropriate and just; (c) streamline and strengthen the procedural rules to align with the Criminal Code procedural rules in sexual offence trials that govern when evidence of a complainant’s past sexual activity can be adduced and when certain private records, including therapeutic records, can be produced or adduced; (d) provide victims with the right to be treated with respect, courtesy, compassion and fairness; (e) provide that victims have the right to receive information about their rights under the Division of the National Defence Act entitled “Declaration of Victims Rights” and information about the protection measures that are available to them; and (f) enable victims to receive information from authorities in the military justice system without being required to make a request. The enactment also amends An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child sexual abuse and exploitation material by persons who provide an Internet service to, among other things, (a) clarify the types of Internet services covered by that Act; (b) require that transmission data be provided with the mandatory notification in cases where the material is manifestly child sexual abuse and exploitation material; (c) extend the period of preservation of data related to an offence; and (d) extend the limitation period for the prosecution of an offence under that Act. The enactment also amends the Firearms Act to clarify that an individual whose firearms licence or registration certificate has been revoked is required to deliver their firearm to a peace officer, firearms officer or chief firearms officer and to provide that an individual is not eligible to hold a licence under that Act if the chief firearms officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual may have engaged in an act of domestic violence or stalking. The enactment also amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to, among other things, enhance the disclosure of information to victims and other components of the criminal justice system and provide for the submission of victim statements in certain instances. Finally, the enactment also amends the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to facilitate legal assistance between Canada and supranational bodies with responsibility for criminal investigations or prosecutions.

The government's summary, printed at the front of the bill as introduced.

Kind
Government bill
Sponsor
Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice (Central Nova)
Introduced
in the House of Commons
Last activity

Where it stands

  1. ProposedDec 9, 2025
  2. Being debated
  3. Almost law
  4. LawJun 18

Became law June 18

  1. First reading in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  2. Second reading in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 3 sitting days, to

    2nd reading and referral to committee - JUST: agreed to on division,

  3. Committee in the House done

    Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  4. Report stage in the House done

    Before the House on 3 sitting days, to · 4 debates here

  5. Third reading in the House done

    Before the House on 3 sitting days, to · 3 debates here

    3rd reading: agreed to, 192–⁠133 (division 153),

  6. Senate pre-study (Senate) done

    Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

  7. First reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  8. Second reading in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  9. Committee in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  10. Third reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  11. Royal assent done

Exact procedural stages

Officially: Royal assent received June 18, 2026 · S.C. 2026, c. 19.

  1. House
  2. Senate
  3. Royal assent

Debates in the House 9

Members who spoke: Conservative 30 Liberal 28 Bloc Québécois 9 NDP 3 Green 1

Report stage 4

  1. Government Orders: Motions in Amendment

    · Sitting 128 · 50 statements · 46 graded

    16 members spoke

  2. Protecting Victims Act

    · Sitting 129 · 27 statements · 25 graded

    9 members spoke

  3. Protecting Victims Act

    · Sitting 129 · 26 statements · 21 graded

    10 members spoke

  4. Government Orders: Protecting Victims Act

    · Sitting 129 · 53 statements · 44 graded

    16 members spoke

Third reading 3

  1. Protecting Victims Act

    · Sitting 132 · 106 statements · 89 graded

    29 members spoke

  2. Protecting Victims Act

    · Sitting 133 · 1 statement · 1 graded

    1 member spoke

  3. Government Orders

    · Sitting 133 · 24 statements · 20 graded

    12 members spoke

Time allocation, closure and other motions on the bill 2

  1. Government Orders: Bill C-16-Notice of Time Allocation Motion

    · Sitting 128 · Time allocation motion · 1 statement

    1 member spoke

  2. Protecting Victims Act: Bill C-16-Time Allocation Motion

    · Sitting 129 · Time allocation motion · 30 statements · 26 graded

    14 members spoke

Also raised in 52

Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.

Show 50 most recent

  1. Safe Social Media Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  2. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  3. Safe Social Media Act

    · Government Orders · named 5 times

  4. Canadian Space Launch Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  5. Young People and Pornography

    · Statements by Members · named 1 time

  6. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  7. Georgina's Law

    · Private Members' Business · named 6 times

  8. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  9. Criminal Code

    · PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS · named 3 times

  10. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 3 times

  11. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  12. Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act

    · Private Members' Business · named 1 time

  13. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  14. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 2 times

  15. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  16. Gender-Based Violence

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  17. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  18. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  19. Government Business No. 13—Proceedings on Bill C‑22

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  20. Combatting Hate Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  21. Combatting Hate Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  22. Government Business No. 12—Proceedings on Bill C-30

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  23. Bail and Sentencing Reform Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  24. Bail and Sentencing Reform Act

    · Government Orders · named 4 times

  25. Strong and Free Elections Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  26. Adjournment Proceedings

    · Adjournment Proceedings · named 1 time

  27. Government Orders

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  28. Corrections and Conditional Release Act

    · Private Members' Business · named 1 time

  29. Build Canada Homes Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  30. Committees of the House

    · Routine Proceedings · named 2 times

  31. Business of the House

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  32. Artificial Intelligence

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  33. Government Orders

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  34. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  35. Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  36. Public Safety

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  37. Business of the House

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  38. Business of Supply

    · Government Orders · named 2 times

  39. Sexual Violence Prevention Month

    · Statements by Members · named 1 time

  40. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  41. Committees of the House

    · ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS · named 1 time

  42. Justice

    · Oral Questions · named 3 times

  43. Justice

    · Statements by Members · named 3 times

  44. Justice

    · Statements by Members · named 4 times

  45. National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

    · Statements by Members · named 1 time

  46. Justice

    · Statements by Members · named 2 times

  47. Justice

    · Statements by Members · named 2 times

  48. Justice

    · Statements by Members · named 1 time

  49. Adjournment Proceedings

    · Adjournment Proceedings · named 2 times

  50. An Act to Amend the Criminal Code

    · Private Members' Business · named 5 times

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Status, stages and votes from LEGISinfo. Debates are linked from the House's own record of what was before it. Grades are the site's analysis of each statement.