Oral submissions on criminalizing coercive control

Luke’s Place has been closely following the issue of criminalizing coercive control in Canada. The federal government, along with its provincial and territorial partners, is currently conducting virtual panel discussions to receive feedback on this important issue. On September 28, 2023, Luke’s Place Legal Director, Emily Murray, participated in one of the virtual panels to share some concerns about the impact of criminalization on women’s family law cases and to call on the government to look for ways to improve the existing criminal system for survivors before creating a new criminal offence.  

Here is what we shared during our 10-minute presentation.

Our advocacy director, Pamela Cross, also participated in the virtual panels to share her perspective on criminalization stemming from her experience working with survivors and various violence against women organizations throughout Canada. A copy of her presentation can be found here – https://pamelacross.ca/beyond-criminal-law/.  

A copy of Luke’s Place’s position paper on the criminalization of coercive control can be found here – https://lukesplace.ca/lukes-place-position-criminalization-of-coercive-control/ 

Stay tuned for our more formal written submission to the federal government on this issue, which will be posted on our website shortly.