(Quebec) Quebec has never asked the federal government to include the term femicide in the Criminal Code, contrary to what it has suggested.
At the end of February, the Legault government had nevertheless responded in the House to a specific question on this issue that the Minister of the Status of Women, Martin Biron, continued his discussions and pressure.
However, on this International Women’s Rights Day, the federal government maintains that it has never had discussions with Quebec on the inclusion of the word femicide in the Criminal Code.
Québec solidaire (QS) has been calling for years for the term feminicide to be added to the Criminal Code, which falls under federal jurisdiction.
During the question period on February 22, solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal pointed out that “the minister was committed, it was even published too, in an article, where she said that she was open and that she was going to talk about it with its federal counterpart.
Indeed, on May 23, Mme Biron said she was in favor of adding the term “femicide” to the Criminal Code, as requested by organizations fighting domestic violence and she wanted to raise awareness of her counterpart at the federal level during the summer.
Minister Isabelle Charest, who was already Minister of the Status of Women, responded in place of her colleague Mme Biron said that “regarding the discussions with the federal minister, the Minister of the Status of Women continues her discussions, continues her pressure, too, to change the file” and added that “things are continuing”.
During an interview Friday with The Canadian Press, a federal source close to the matter reported that Mr.me Biron addressed the issue of femicide during a meeting with federal ministers, but there was no question of the inclusion of the term femicide in the Criminal Code or of a process to “operationalize” this notion.
No formal or informal request was made either, it was added. This well-informed source added that stakeholders in the status of women file use the concept of femicide and allude to its addition to the Criminal Code, but nevertheless, none have made an official request for its inclusion in the Criminal Code.
The Canadian Press also sent specific questions to the federal Department of Justice, namely whether Minister Arif Virani intended to add “femicide” to the Criminal Code or whether requests had been sent to him specifically on this subject.
The minister’s press secretary, Chantalle Aubertin, sent a response by email, carefully avoiding answering the questions precisely.
“On International Women’s Day, and every day, the Government of Canada is committed to ending all forms of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, and to addressing the gaps in the Criminal Code in order to ensure a robust response from the criminal justice system,” she responded.
“The Government is reviewing how the criminal justice system responds to cases of femicide and how this response could be strengthened. The minister himself has publicly stated that he views the current situation as an ‘epidemic’ requiring immediate action, as evidenced by the support for Bill C-332, and is working with Quebec and other provincial governments and territorial, gender-based violence groups, service providers, academics and other stakeholders to inform this work,” she added.
In his plea for the inclusion of “feminicide” in the Criminal Code, Mr.me Ghazal had affirmed that “women’s groups say that it can help to recognize femicide, that it is not a homicide like any other. It would also help the work of the police to have it, it’s not just symbolic.”