Amendments to Protection Against Family Violence Act now in force
The Northwest Territories (NT) government has announced that amendments to the Protection Against Family Violence Act – including the introduction of a civil tort of stalking and the expansion of access to emergency protection orders (EPOs) – have come into force.
“These changes to the Protection Against Family Violence Act will provide stronger protections for victims of family violence by expanding access to Emergency Protection Orders, recognizing the serious and harmful impacts of stalking, and creating additional options for victims to seek protection and justice,” said Jay Macdonald, NT’s justice minister, in a news release.
Changes about stalking
Numerous amendments pertain to stalking. The territorial government explained that these changes seek to:
- Clearly define stalking
- Recognize stalking as a type of family violence
- Enable the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to reveal a suspected stalker’s identifying details to support safety planning, in limited circumstances and if legally permitted
- Allow stalking victims to seek a civil remedy before the courts against someone stalking them in specified relationships
According to a fact sheet about the changes to the Protection Against Family Violence Act, the legislation now covers the following kinds of relationships:
- intimate or romantic relationships, regardless of whether those involved have resided together
- family relationships by blood, marriage, or those considered family
- care relationships where one party depends on the other because of disability, illness, or aging
Other amendments
The NT government noted that other changes to the Protection Against Family Violence Act aim to:
- Add a “deemed fear” provision to help protect children and other vulnerable individuals who might be unable to communicate their safety concerns
- Use clearer and more modern language
- Expand access to EPOs to enable those at immediate risk to seek protection
“Together, these measures help to ensure safe communities for Northerners, by improving safety, supporting victims, and strengthening the response to family violence across the Northwest Territories,” Macdonald said in the news release.
Aims of amendments
The territorial government said the amendments seek to:
- Promote accountability
- Fortify the safeguards available to those experiencing family violence
- Boost access to support for those experiencing family violence throughout the NT
- More accurately reflect the experiences of victims
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and community,” Macdonald said in the NT government’s news release.
More on Protection Against Family Violence Act
The territorial government explained that the Protection Against Family Violence Act, in force since 2005, offers legal tools, including long-term and emergency protection orders, to help keep people safe from family violence and decrease the risk of further harm.
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