December 9,2025
RED FM News Desk
British Columbia’s attorney general has announced new provincial measures to combat intimate partner violence, calling recently introduced federal legislation “a step toward justice.”
Nikki Sharma said Tuesday that the province will develop a comprehensive framework to guide everyone in the justice system on how to better respond to intimate partner violence. B.C. will also create an internal accountability mechanism to monitor how these reforms are implemented.
The announcement follows a systemic review released in June examining how the province’s legal system treats victims and survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
Sharma said advocates have stressed the need for consistent risk assessments across the justice system to help protect survivors from further harm, and the government will move quickly to standardize these assessments.
“That’s going to mean sitting down with police and different parts of the justice system to ensure assessments are used at the right time and with the right level of quality,” she said at a news conference in Vancouver.
Her comments came the same day the federal government introduced legislation that would classify femicide — including cases involving an intimate partner — as first-degree murder.
“Intimate partner violence is among the most serious crimes a person can commit. If a pattern of sexual violence, control, and abuse ends in murder, the perpetrator should not receive a lighter sentence by claiming the killing wasn’t planned,” she said. “A record of abuse should be considered evidence of premeditation. This is an important step toward ensuring families receive the justice they deserve.”
Sharma said the federal changes are historic and will have real impact.
“Our Criminal Code and legal system must clearly reflect the seriousness of harming an intimate partner.”
The announcement comes less than two months after B.C. implemented stricter bail measures for those accused or convicted of sexual violence, but Sharma said it was clear more action was needed.
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