Bill C-225 clears second reading: why this matters for survivors
What is Bill C-225?
It’s a proposed amendment to the Criminal Code which will create new offences specific to intimate partner abuse, restrict release for repeat offenders, and allow courts to order risk-of-reoffending assessments at any stage of proceedings.
It will also extend the retention period for seized evidence to ensure more thorough investigations and accountability.
Bill C-225 is a private member’s bill introduced by Frank Caputo.
Learn more.
Beyond the Verdict welcomes yesterday’s news that Bill C-225 has passed second reading in the House of Commons and will now move forward to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for study.
This is an important step toward strengthening Canada’s response to intimate partner violence and ensuring that the legal system better reflects the realities survivors face.
We also acknowledge the dedicated work of MP Frank Caputo in bringing this bill forward, and we hold Bailey’s family and friends in our thoughts as they continue to navigate unimaginable and completely preventable loss.
Too many women and gender-diverse people in Canada have been killed by their intimate partners. Each life taken is a stark reminder that our justice system has not done enough to prevent predictable, preventable violence in the home.
Bill C-225 sends a clear message that intimate partner homicide is not a “crime of passion.” It is a pattern of coercion, control, and escalating harm. For decades, survivors and families have watched as sentencing decisions failed to capture the true gravity of intimate partner violence. This bill recognizes that these killings are rarely isolated events. These are the final, fatal outcome of months or years of ongoing abuse.
Yesterday’s 325-0 vote moves us one step closer to meaningful change and to a legal system that better protects those living with violence.
We urge all Members of Parliament to continue supporting Bill C-225 as it moves to committee, and to ensure the lived experiences of survivors are centered throughout the process.
In solidarity,
Kelly Favro and J.B.
With support from Kristi Lee
Beyond The Verdict: Survivor-led advocacy project
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October 27, 2025
Beyond the Verdict urges all Members of Parliament to stand with survivors, families, and advocates across the country, and support Bill C-225.
Beyond the Verdict stands in strong support of Bill C-225. Too many women and gender-diverse people in Canada have died at the hands of their intimate partners. Every name added to that growing list is a life stolen, a family shattered, and a reminder that our legal system has not done enough to prevent lethal violence in the home.
This bill sends a clear message that killing a partner is not a “crime of passion.” It is a deliberate act of control, power, and domination. For decades, survivors have watched as abusers received sentences that failed to reflect the gravity and pattern of intimate partner violence. Bill C-225 recognizes that these are not isolated incidents but the final, fatal chapter in a long history of abuse.
We recognize that justice must always allow for cases of legitimate self-defence, particularly for victims who act to save their own lives after years of violence. But those rare and tragic circumstances must not stop Parliament from addressing the epidemic of intimate partner homicides in Canada.
It is time to draw a clear line that shows intimate partner homicide is first-degree murder. Anything less tells victims that their lives - and their deaths - do not matter.
We urge all Members of Parliament to recognize the importance of Bill C-2225, and support it appropriately.