Bill C-16 ‘progress,’ but needs tougher language to codify femicide as a standalone crime, advocates say

Canada is a leader among peer nations including the United States, Australian, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in being the first to introduce femicide into criminal legislation, but advocates for women say the law won’t act as a deterrent.

Bill C-16, introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser on Dec. 9, proposes to introduce 'femicide' into the Criminal Code by applying it to murders that are committed by an offender against their intimate partner under certain circumstances.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY MARLO GLASS

January 2, 2026

A researcher and academic who has studied violence against women for decades says Ottawa’s bill introducing femicide into the Criminal Code could have gone further to address endemic levels of gender-based violence.

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