The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. Canadian lawmakers have passed a bill that includes a measure known as "Keira's law," which would ensure that judges receive education on domestic violence and coercive control in intimate partner and family relationships. CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Canadian lawmakers have passed a bill that includes a measure known as “Keira’s law,” which would ensure that judges receive education on domestic violence and coercive control in intimate partner and family relationships.
The law is named after Keira Kagan, a four-year-old who was found dead with her father in 2020 in an apparent murder-suicide after being left in his care.
Anju Dhillon, the Liberal MP who introduced the law, said at a press conference that this is a concrete step to do more to protect women and children from domestic violence.
The bill will also introduce electronic monitoring as a possible release condition for those facing domestic violence charges.
The condition would apply when judges believe that releasing an accused person on bail could put someone else’s safety at risk.
Kagan’s mother, Dr. Jennifer Kagan, said the law is an incredible achievement that will solidify her daughter’s legacy as a beacon of protection and safety for others.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2023.
