Good morning, Madam Chair.
Good morning, everyone.
Ladies, thank you for joining us today as witnesses.
We are dealing with an important subject. Your insights are invaluable for making informed decisions on these matters. I think mistakes can easily happen, both in good faith and in bad faith. Hearing from people like you, who are out in the field every day, will probably prevent the most damaging mistakes and allow us to be truly precise and effective.
This morning, I have heard a great deal about domestic violence in your testimony. I am sure you can imagine that no one here will say that it is not serious. We all consider it to be a serious issue that needs to be addressed. There are already provisions in the Criminal Code or elsewhere that condemn violence, domestic or otherwise. Domestic violence has a pernicious side since most of the time the victim lives with the abuser on a daily basis. This is all terrible and we agree on that.
I would like to hear more from you about the purpose of the committee. We are working on issues related to controlling and coercive conduct. The concept is somewhere between violence and non-criminal behaviour. Violent acts such as assault are criminal, there is no need to add new criminal provisions, because they are already there. Harassment is also a criminal act that is already recognized and for which there is a penalty.
At the other end of the spectrum of difficult relationships, discussions between couples may sometimes be a little tough. The woman may tell her partner that she is not happy with something or other, that it seems to her that the woman next door is looking at him strangely and that it is not right; or the man may tell his wife that he is fed up with her going out dancing with her friends. Spouses have discussions that are often not pleasant, but are legal. We don't want to punish them because we think it's okay in relationships to have discussions, even if sometimes they are more difficult.
Coercive and controlling behaviour is somewhere between heated discussions on the one hand and the criminal acts of harassment, assault, and so on, on the other hand. In that respect, I for one am having difficulty grasping the parameters. Could you help me understand? I would like you to clarify what you consider to be controlling and criminal behaviour versus controlling but not criminal behaviour.
Ms. Koshan, I would like to hear from you first, and if any of the other two witnesses want to add anything, I would be happy to hear what they have to say.