In March 2026, LEAF and Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic provided a joint submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures).
Overview of Submission
Our organizations support the following components of Bill C-16:
- Increased access to testimonial supports for victims and witnesses in proceedings concerning sexual offences, criminal harassment, trafficking, and intimate partner violence as reflected in proposed Criminal Code sections 486.1, 486.2, and 486.3
- Increased access to testimonial supports for victims and witnesses in proceedings concerning violent offences, sexual offences, criminal harassment, trafficking, and coercive control as reflected in proposed National Defence Act sections 183.1, 183.2, and 183.3
- Increased emphasis on restorative justice processes
- Expanding the definition of intimate image in Criminal Code section 162.1(2)(b) to include deepfakes
Our organizations have observations about the following components of Bill C-16:
- Femicide, including of an intimate partner, and other aggravating circumstances
- Coercion or control of an intimate partner
Our organizations have recommended amendments to enable Bill C-16 to better support women and gender-diverse people in Canada:
- Broaden the safety valve for mandatory minimum sentences, include a gender-based analysis, and do not reintroduce mandatory minimums that have already been struck down
- Strengthen protections for complainants and guard against delay in changes to procedural rules in sexual offence trials
- Maintain the wording of the offence of criminal harassment as it currently reads
- Broaden the definition of deepfakes to ensure it appropriately captures the harms of these images
- Remove barriers to restorative justice by limiting the use of statements made during them
- Work with provinces and territories to lessen delays in the criminal legal system
Read and download the submission here.
Bill-C-16-Submission-BSCC-and-LEAF-FINAL