The Fréchette government introduced its version of the “Clare’s Law” bill in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Under this law, a person concerned about the potential danger posed by an intimate partner will be able to request confidential information from law enforcement agencies in order to assess the level of danger the partner poses.
Bill 4, introduced by Minister of Public Safety Ian Lafrenière, will allow “at-risk individuals” to obtain information on convictions, as well as police reports, regarding an intimate partner in cases of violence. This may include a 911 call for domestic violence or other violent crimes, even if they are not related to a domestic context. Women will also be able to find out the offender’s location.
Individuals aged 14 and older may submit a request regarding an “intimate partner,” defined in the bill as a person aged 18 or older with whom they have a marital, romantic, or sexual relationship.
Women will be able to either file the request themselves or authorize someone else to do so on their behalf. The process will be completely confidential.
They will be able to submit their request via an online form or by going directly to a police department, which will forward the request to the Sûreté du Québec. The information obtained will then be forwarded to a support organization that will eventually be designated by the Ministry of the Status of Women. The Ministry may then forward it to the applicants.
The designated organization will also be able to offer them support and “refer them to specialized resources” such as shelters.
During a technical briefing, ministry officials estimated that approximately 10,000 inquiries are expected each year. According to them, this is a “conservative” estimate, although the number of requests could vary significantly, both upward and downward.
A five-year budget of $27.6 million is allocated to implement this system.
The “Gabie Renaud Act”
This initiative was notably called for by Québec solidaire and women’s advocacy groups, who proposed the name Gabie Renaud Act, in memory of the woman killed in Saint-Jérôme last September. Ms. Renaud’s partner, Jonathan Blanchet, a repeat offender with a history of domestic violence, has been charged with murder.
Gabie Renaud’s sister, Rachel, as well as Mr. Blanchet’s ex-partner, Nancy Boucher, were in the gallery of the Salon Rouge to witness the tabling.
According to the government, the fact that Gabie Renaud’s case is still pending in court prevents the bill from being introduced under her name.
Premier Christine Fréchette welcomed the fact that “all political parties are joining this effort.” “It’s important that we take action,” said Ms. Fréchette. “And I’m glad we’re taking steps to better protect women who are victims of violence by giving them access to judicial information about their partners.”
Ten femicides have been committed in Quebec since the beginning of the year. During the CAQ leadership race, Ms. Fréchette had promised to introduce a bill, inspired by the “Clare’s Law,” to prevent violence against women.
“Clare’s Law” was enacted in England following the murder of Clare Wood by her ex-partner in 2009. He had a history of violence against women.
Several Canadian provinces have already enacted this type of law, including Saskatchewan and Manitoba.