C-233An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 7, 2022
- Status
- Became law on April 27, 2023 · S.C. 2023, c. 7
What it does
Requires courts to consider electronic monitoring for some accused charged with intimate partner offences and adds judge training on intimate partner violence and coercive control.
What it does
- Requires a justice, before making a release order for an accused charged with an offence against an intimate partner, to consider whether electronic monitoring should be a condition for safety and security.
- Adds electronic monitoring as a possible release condition when the Attorney General asks for it.
- Updates the list of offences for release conditions to cover violence used, threatened or attempted against the accused’s intimate partner.
- Requires the Canadian Judicial Council to hold continuing education seminars for judges on intimate partner violence, coercive control, sexual assault law, and social context, including systemic racism and discrimination.
- Requires the Council to report each year to the Minister on those seminars within 60 days after the end of the calendar year.
Who it affects
- Accused persons charged with intimate partner offences
- Intimate partner violence survivors
- Judges
- Canadian Judicial Council
- Attorney General
Background
The bill changes release order rules in the Criminal Code and judicial education rules in the Judges Act.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner)
Vote 115,
Passed
326 yeato0 nay
Party breakdown for vote 115 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 155 0 4 Conservative Yea 117 0 2 Bloc Yea 28 0 4 NDP Yea 23 0 2 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 326 0
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalAnju Dhillon· April 29, 2022
“I dedicate my Bill C-233 to François L'Heureux, who was more than just a mentor; he was like a second father to me. I was incredibly lucky that he was part of my life.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeMelissa Lantsman· April 29, 2022
“I am sincerely grateful to see it in this bill today. However, I never thought that was enough.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocAndréanne Larouche· April 29, 2022
“Madam Speaker, as the Bloc Québécois critic for the status of women and the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, I rise today to speak to Bill C-233, which amends the Criminal Code to require a justice, before making a release order in respect of an accused who is charged with an offence against their intimate partner, to consider whether it is…”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPHeather McPherson· April 29, 2022
“However, that is not what the bill talks about. It talks about putting pieces in place that will provide that additional level of security for women who are experiencing violence from their intimate partners.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.