OTTAWA
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser introduced a new crime bill aimed at increasing penalties for offences against children and women, including restoring mandatory minimum sentences. The 167-page bill proposes criminalizing “coercive control” in abusive relationships and classifying murders of women in such contexts as femicide. It also addresses the non-consensual distribution of deepfake intimate images and responds to a Supreme Court ruling on child pornography sentencing. Critics had urged the government to use the notwithstanding clause to maintain minimum sentences, and the bill seeks to protect these while allowing for exceptions under certain conditions.
