Skip to main content

e-3956 (Justice)

E-petition
Initiated by Sonia Robinson from Burlington, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons

Whereas:
  • Violence against women is a Canadian public health crisis that demands urgent action;
  • The current Canadian court system is not equipped to protect women;
  • One in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime;
  • One woman or girl is killed every other day, on average, somewhere in our country;
  • Similarly, children are being killed by abusive parents at increasing rates, after judges ignore red flags and warning signs and put the children directly in danger;
  • Children are not merely exposed to domestic violence, they experience it;
  • In worst case scenarios, children are killed by a violent parent;
  • Each year in Canada, about 30 children are killed by a parent;
  • Mothers are responsible about 40% of the time, often due to postpartum depression or mental illness;
  • In the 60% of cases where fathers are the murderers, anger, jealousy, or post-separation retaliatory revenge are the usual motivations;
  • Judges need education on what constitutes domestic violence or coercive control;
  • A formal education program would ensure another line of defense for victims, as well as preventing violence and abuse before it happens;
  • Keira’s Law is named after Keira Kagan, who was killed by her father when she was four years old in 2020; and
  • Voting in favour of Keira’s Law, contained in Bill C-233, will not only protect victims of violence and children, it will save lives.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to support Member of Parliament Anju Dhillon's Private Member’s Bill C-233, that will raise the level of education on domestic violence and coercive control for federally appointed judges.

Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary James Maloney

Private Member’s Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner), received Royal Assent on April 27, 2023. The Government was proud to support this important bill and pleased to see it receive Royal Assent.

Open for signature
March 30, 2022, at 10:54 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
July 28, 2022, at 10:54 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Pam Damoff (Oakville North—Burlington)
January 29, 2024 (Petition No. 441-02015)
Government response tabled
February 28, 2024
Photo - Pam Damoff
Oakville North—Burlington
Liberal Caucus
Ontario