Bill C-225 Criminal Code Amendment
C-225 An Act to Amend the Criminal Code
Bill Type: Private Member’s Bill
Bill Sponsor: Frank Caputo (Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola)
⚠️ This Bill overlaps significantly with Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act) — the coordinating amendments are extensive. If C-16 passes first, large portions of C-225 are automatically repealed. The two Bills are racing each other through Parliament
Status: Passed by the House of Commons — April 27, 2026. Now before the Senate. This Bill hasn't passed yet.
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WHO GAINS POWER
- Victims of intimate partner violence gain stronger legal recognition — killing an intimate partner in the context of coercive control is now automatically first degree murder, regardless of whether it was planned
- Prosecutors gain a new standalone offence for violence against intimate partners — charges can be laid specifically for the intimate partner context, not just the underlying offence
- Courts gain clearer sentencing tools for intimate partner manslaughter — including parole ineligibility of 10 to 25 years where coercive control is proven
- Police gain a longer window to hold seized evidence — extended from 3 months to 180 days, giving investigators more time in complex domestic violence cases
WHO LOSES POWER
- Offenders who kill an intimate partner in a pattern of coercive control lose the ability to argue the killing was unplanned and therefore second degree murder — the coercive control pattern elevates it automatically
- Defence counsel lose a key sentencing argument in intimate partner manslaughter cases — coercive control triggers mandatory consideration of a life sentence
- Offenders convicted of intimate partner violence offences face a reverse onus at bail — they must show why detention is not justified
WHO GAINS MONEY
- No direct financial provisions in this Bill
WHO LOSES MONEY
- No direct financial provisions in this Bill
THE CATCH
- ⚠️ "Coercive or controlling conduct" is not defined in this Bill — courts must determine what constitutes a pattern of coercive control without a statutory definition, which may lead to inconsistent application across jurisdictions
- ⚠️ This Bill overlaps significantly with Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act) — the coordinating amendments are extensive. If C-16 passes first, large portions of C-225 are automatically repealed. The two Bills are racing each other through Parliament
- ⚠️ The first degree murder provision applies regardless of planning — this is a significant departure from the existing framework where first degree murder requires either planning or specific circumstances. Coercive control alone now suffices
- ⚠️ Proving a "pattern" of coercive control may be difficult — particularly in cases where abuse was not documented, reported or witnessed. The burden of proof remains on the Crown
- ⚠️Victims' families are invisible in this Bill— coercive control deliberately isolates victims from family and support networks. After a killing, those same families have no formal role in proceedings, no guaranteed notification and no access to support services under this Bill. The law addresses the crime but not the people left behind.
- ⚠️ The Bill comes into force 30 days after royal assent — it does not apply retroactively to offences committed before that date
- ⚠️ Young offenders are included — the Bill adjusts parole ineligibility periods for offenders under 18 convicted of intimate partner manslaughter, raising youth justice considerations