C-16Protecting Victims Act
An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures)
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on December 9, 2025
- Status
- Became law on June 18, 2026 · S.C. 2026, c. 19
What it does
Amends criminal, correctional, victims, firearms and youth justice laws to add new offences, change court rules and expand victim rights.
What it does
- Creates a new offence for coercive or controlling conduct toward an intimate partner, and makes certain murders first-degree murder when they happen in contexts such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking or hate.
- Changes child and sexual exploitation laws, including new rules on intimate images, inviting a child to expose sexual organs, recruiting a child to help commit an offence and distributing images of bestiality.
- Updates court rules on harassment, delay and sexual offence trials, removes the need to prove a victim’s subjective fear in criminal harassment cases, and allows some affidavit evidence in identity theft and identity fraud cases.
- Expands victims’ rights in the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act, including more information, testimonial aids and clearer rights to victim statements.
- Changes Internet child sexual abuse reporting rules, firearms rules for revoked licences and suspected domestic violence or stalking, corrections rules on victim information, and rules for legal help between Canada and supranational criminal bodies.
Who it affects
- Victims of crime
- Intimate partners
- Children and youth
- People accused of sexual offences
- Firearms licence holders
- Internet service providers
- Offenders in federal corrections
- Military justice participants
Background
Introduced in the House of Commons on 9 December 2025 and given first reading. It amends several federal laws on criminal and correctional matters.
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.
Senate pre study
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of 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)
Vote 153,
Passed
192 yeato133 nay · 12 paired
Party breakdown for vote 153 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 167 0 7 Conservative Nay 0 133 7 Bloc Yea 18 0 4 NDP Yea 5 0 0 Green Yea 1 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 192 133 Concurrence at report stage of 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)
Vote 137,
Passed
195 yeato136 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 137 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 168 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 136 4 Bloc Yea 20 0 2 NDP Yea 5 0 0 Green Yea 1 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 195 136 C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures) (report stage amendment) (Motion No. 2)
Vote 136,
Failed
142 yeato189 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 136 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 168 6 Conservative Yea 136 0 4 Bloc Nay 0 20 2 NDP Yea 5 0 0 Green Nay 0 1 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 142 189 C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures) (report stage amendment) (Motion No. 1)
Vote 135,
Failed
7 yeato323 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 135 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 168 6 Conservative Nay 0 135 5 Bloc Nay 0 20 2 NDP Yea 5 0 0 Green Yea 1 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 7 323 Time allocation for 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)
Vote 134,
Passed
169 yeato164 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 134 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 169 0 5 Conservative Nay 0 136 4 Bloc Nay 0 21 1 NDP Nay 0 5 0 Green Nay 0 1 0 Independent Nay 0 1 0 Total 169 164
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalSean Fraser· January 26, 2026
“Before I begin with the specifics of the bill we are here to debate today, I want to spend a moment placing the bill in the appropriate context. It is one in which public safety has become a major priority for Canadians and, indeed, a major priority for the Government of Canada.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeLarry Brock· January 26, 2026
“I start by reflecting on what Bill C-16 would and would not do. At the outset, I can state that the bill is largely supported by the Conservative Party of Canada, but there are some red lines, which I will elaborate on, that need to be discussed.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocRhéal Fortin· January 26, 2026
“They are also holding up the work that we need to do on Bill C-16. These are three important bills and there are more.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPLeah Gazan· June 3, 2026
“I am happy to rise today on Bill C-16, as this is a very far-reaching bill. My colleague and I have studied this bill very carefully and sought to amend it significantly while it was reviewed by the justice and human rights committee.”
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.