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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
May 21, 2026
Elder Justice Coalition Welcomes Progress on Coercive Control Reform
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – On May 4, 2026, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (Justice Committee) adopted an amendment to Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, requiring that Parliament initiate a review five years after the bill receives royal assent "to consider, among other things, the criminalization of coercive or controlling conduct in relationships other than intimate partner relationships." The proposed amendment comes amid growing legal recognition in Canada of coercive and controlling behaviour as a serious form of family violence, including in the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia.
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OTTAWA, ONTARIO – On February 4, 2026, the Elder Justice Coalition will be on Parliament Hill meeting with MPs, senators, and staff in relation to Bill C-16, which proposes to create a standalone coercive control offence. The Coalition welcomes the bill’s focus on coercive control by intimate partners and views this reform as an important step forward.
These meetings are intended to contribute constructively to Parliament’s consideration of how protections can be strengthened for older victims of coercive control who are harmed by relatives, informal caregivers, and others in relationships of trust and dependence.
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December 16, 2025
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Elder Justice Coalition welcomes the tabling of the Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) as a step forward in acknowledging the seriousness of coercive control by intimate partners through a proposed criminal offence. We commend the federal government for its resolve to rapidly address this grave societal problem.
The proposed law signals recognition by the government that non-physical forms of abuse, such as manipulation, isolation, intimidation, and threats, constitute harm worthy of criminal consequences. It makes clear that abuse does not need to be physical to cause serious harm, reflecting a broader understanding of family violence.
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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
November 12, 2025
ELDER JUSTICE COALITION
Legislative Advocacy Day:
Coercive Control of Seniors
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Elder Justice Coalition is an ad hoc group of organizations calling for a coercive control offence to protect elder abuse victims. Our aim is to bring our voices together during a Legislative Action Day on Parliament Hill, where we plan to engage with politicians and their staff, urging them to extend a coercive control offence beyond intimate partners to include abusive adult children and others in positions of trust and dependence.
Elder abuse victims were excluded from the last attempt to criminalize coercive control (Bill C-332), which received unanimous, all-party support in the House of Commons. This advocacy effort aims to unite voices and ensure older victims are no longer overlooked. “Coercive control can profoundly devastate older people’s lives,” said Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization, and a global expert on ageing and law reform. “A coercive control offence that includes abuse within relationships of trust and dependence would recognize the reality of their experience and help close a critical gap in protection.”
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Canada is in the middle of a workforce challenge. Job vacancies remain high. Skilled tradespeople are retiring. And many industries — from construction to healthcare — are struggling to keep up. As of June 2025, Canada’s unemployment rate sits at 6.9%, with 1.6 million people actively looking for work. Many employers are struggling to fill key positions, particularly in trades and care-based sectors.
Yet thousands of older, skilled, and experienced adults who want or need to keep working are being quietly pushed aside. While elder abuse is often discussed in the context of home or care settings, workplaces play a vital role in shaping attitudes toward aging. When older adults are excluded from meaningful work, it not only impacts their income and independence, it can also reinforce ageist stereotypes that contribute to social isolation, a known risk factor for abuse.
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