On June 18, 2026, Bill C-16 (the Protecting Victims Act) officially received Royal Assent, making coercive control a criminal offence in Canada. This pattern of non-physical abuse, including extreme isolation, manipulation, financial control, and intimidation, is used to completely dominate another person.
While this is a historic step forward, the work is far from over for elder justice advocates.
The Current Focus: Intimate Partners Only
As written, the new offence only applies to intimate partner relationships and will take two full years to come into effect (June 2028). However, coercive control often targets older adults through non-romantic relationships, such as adult children, grandchildren, or dependent care providers.
BC CRN is a proud member of the Elder Justice Coalition, which has been actively lobbying federal lawmakers to fix this gap. In February, BC CRN Board Member Gloria Gutman travelled to Ottawa with members of the Coalition to lobby federal decision-makers to expand the scope of the bill to include older adults, ensuring they are not left behind.
A Crucial Window: The 5-Year Review
The bill mandates that Parliament must review this law in five years (June 2031). This review will specifically look at expanding the law to cover other types of relationships, such as adult children abusing their parents or grandchildren abusing grandparents.
Concerns from the Senate
When the Senate Committee reviewed Bill C-16, they raised several warnings that echo these exact advocacy concerns:
- The Law Left People Out: The Committee explicitly recommended that Parliament study including seniors and people with disabilities, noting that coercive control happens in many vulnerable care relationships.
- A Rushed Process: The government forced a review of the massive bill in less than a week, meaning many expert witnesses and community briefs couldn’t be heard.
- Lack of Real-World Support: The Committee warned that criminal law will fail if victims lack safe housing, transportation, and quick community support when trying to leave an abusive situation.
What’s Next?
While Bill C-16 is progress, it currently leaves many vulnerable older adults unprotected. BC CRN and the Elder Justice Coalition will continue to advocate, educate, and push leading up to the 2031 review to ensure all older adults experiencing coercive control are fully protected under Canadian law.
For anyone looking to learn more about coercive control, Dr. Gutman has written an article for the NGO Committee on Ageing.
