Support for Bill C-233, “Keira’s Law” - by Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Shelley Carroll

The most dangerous time for a victim of abuse is when she separates from her partner. A formal education program regarding domestic violence or coercive control and other measures proposed in Private Member's Bill C-233 would ensure another line of defense for victims, as well as preventing violence and abuse before it happens. Abuse is the attempt by one person to control another using fear, violence or intimation. Abuse is not just physical but emotional, sexual, financial and psychological. Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly states that children must be protected from "all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has care of the child. As reported by the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, recent separation and domestic violence are the two biggest risk factors for domestic violence related child homicides and custody disputes are an additional risk factor. Member of Parliament Anju Dhillon's Private Member's Bill C-233, "Keira's Law", seeks to amend the Criminal Code to require a justice, before making a release order in respect of an accused who is charged with an offence against their intimate partner, to consider whether it is desirable, in the interests of the safety and security of any person, to include as a condition of the order that the accused wear an electronic monitoring device. As well, it amends the Judges Act to provide for continuing education seminars for judges on matters related to intimate partner violence and coercive control. Keira's Law is named after four-year-old Keira Kagan, who was killed while in the custody of her father, in 2020. Burlington, Vaughan and Halton Region Councils have passed motions in support of this Private Member's Bill.