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Rise Women’s Legal Centre and West Coast LEAF’s submissions seek to inform the conversation around the potential criminalization of coercive control by sharing our experiences with addressing coercive control within the context of family law in BC, where a range of psychological and emotional violence has been included in legislation for nearly a decade, with disappointing results.

The BC Court of Appeal has re-affirmed that courts must take into account the impact of indirect violence on a child’s best interests when deciding parenting arrangements, not just direct violence against the child.

This is significant for our clients (80% of whom have experienced family violence), women, their children, and all parents who have experienced family violence in BC. The appeal sets a precedent for future cases, meaning that judges in the Provincial and Supreme Court of BC must follow this ruling. Strong precedents also make it easier to advise clients, because court outcomes are more predictable.

Funded by the Law Foundation of BC, this project was conducted between June and December 2023. This project sought to identify potential options for creating these safeguards, and to make recommendations to the Ministry of the Attorney General, which is currently undertaking the Family Law Act Modernization Project.

Read full report here

Notice to Rise’s supporters, funders, donors, community partners, friends, and all who make Rise possible:

We are announcing a change in leadership at Rise Women’s Legal Centre. Kim Hawkins, executive director, will be leaving her position to take up the role of director of legal services grants at the Law Foundation of BC, as of March 31, 2024. You can read messages from Kim Hawkins, executive director, and Carly Teillet, president of the Board of Directors, about the transition here.