Bailey’s Law clears House of Commons, heads to Senate

Bill C-225, known as Bailey’s Law, has passed the House of Commons and now moves to the Senate for debate before it can become law.

Bailey’s Law, a proposed Criminal Code amendment aimed at changing how Canada handles intimate partner violence cases, has passed the House of Commons and is headed to the Senate.

The bill, formally known as Bill C-225, is a Conservative private member’s bill named after Bailey McCourt, a 32-year-old mother of two who was killed in a Kelowna parking lot in July 2025. Her estranged husband, James Plover, has been charged with first-degree murder, and his trial is ongoing.

McCourt’s case has become a focus for advocates and family members pressing for changes to the justice system’s response to domestic violence. According to the bill’s sponsor, Conservative MP Frank Caputo of Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola, the proposal is meant to strengthen protections where intimate partner violence risks are identified.

The bill proposes several Criminal Code changes, including making the killing of an intimate partner an automatic first-degree murder charge. It would also allow courts to hold people charged with domestic assault for up to seven days for a risk assessment when warning signs are present, and would change bail rules for people with a previous domestic violence conviction.

Bailey’s Law passed second reading unanimously. Its third reading passed “on division,” a parliamentary procedure that lets a bill move ahead without a recorded vote showing which MPs supported or opposed it. In practice, it signals that parties were not fully aligned on the legislation but did not call for a formal count.

“I can’t tell you how profoundly honoured I am to have sponsored this bill,” Caputo said in a video update posted to social media after the bill passed. He thanked those who supported the effort, including McCourt’s family.

The bill must still be debated in the Senate before it can become law. Plover’s case remains before the courts, with a scheduling appearance set for May 1.