Posts by Emily Murray
The future of criminalizing of coercive control
We’ve spent a lot of time engaged around the possible criminalization of coercive control over the last several years. Most recently, this involved appearing before Senate and House Committees and providing written briefs in their study of Bill C-332. However, with the recent prorogation of the federal government, that Bill has died. A recent article…
Read moreJudicial education on IPV should not be optional
As discussed in our blog posts over the last few weeks, we are spending time this month discussing the importance of judicial education on intimate partner violence (IPV). Keira’s Law was a giant leap forward on this issue, officially including IPV in the list of possible topics for judicial education in the governing legislation. It…
Read moreCall for a review of mandatory charging policies
Mandatory charging policies, introduced over 40 years ago, take the responsibility away from survivors for deciding whether to lay criminal charges in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV). Police are directed to lay charges where they believe there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction. The hope when these policies were first introduced was that they…
Read moreKeira’s law – an important advancement in law when it comes to judicial education on issues of intimate partner violence
Keira’s law is an important advancement in the law when it comes to judicial education on issues of intimate partner violence. Federally, the Judges Act requires that the Canadian Judicial Council consider providing continuing education on intimate partner violence and coercive control in intimate partner and family relationships. In Ontario, the Courts of Justice Act…
Read moreNational Sexual Assault Awareness Month
May is recognized as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Canada. This is an important time to reflect on the prevalence of sexual violence in Canada and how we can work towards improving support and services for those who have been subjected to this violence. Sexual violence is highly gendered. Women, girls, and gender-diverse people…
Read moreLuke’s Place intervenes in the important decision of Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia
On March 23, 2023, Luke’s Place was honoured to intervene in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia at the Ontario Court of Appeal along with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. The decision recognizes a new tort of family violence and has important implications for survivors of intimate partner violence throughout the province. This case involved a 17-year traditional…
Read moreWe’ve updated & expanded the Emergency Motions Toolkit!
We’re pleased to announce that we have updated and expanded the Emergency Motions Toolkit! The Emergency Motions Toolkit provides clear information for Ontario advocates assisting woman abuse survivors about how to create effective emergency motions for a variety of different situations. Contents include: emergency numbers and safety planning, applying for an emergency motion, information and…
Read moreRecognizing the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
On this day 33 years ago, 14 women were murdered and 10 others were injured at the Universite de Montreal’s École Polytechnique in a devastating act of violence fueled by misogyny. These women were killed for no other reason than the fact that they were women. To honour these women, December 6th is recognized as…
Read moreBill C-233: The need for judicial education on intimate partner violence
We continue to support Bill C-233 as it moves to Third Reading. Luke’s Place Legal Director, Pamela Cross, and Legal Services Director, Emily Murray, submitted a discussion paper to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women regarding Bill C-233 and the importance of judicial education on intimate partner violence. Check out previous blog posts…
Read moreBill C-233 passes Second Reading and moves to debate at Committee stage
We are thrilled that Bill-C-233 passed Second Reading on Friday and has been referred to the Status of Women Committee for debate. As we explained in our previous blog post, a central component of this Bill involves judicial education on the issue of intimate partner violence. This aspect of the Bill honours Keira Kagan, a…
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