It was a unanimous decision in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament gave a standing ovation following Bailey’s Law passing second reading on Dec. 3.
Kamloops MP Frank Caputo introduced Bailey’s Law, Bill C-225, to the House of Commons as a private members’ bill on Sept. 18. In the bill, all domestic violence killings would be treated as first-degree murder.
The law is named after Bailey McCourt, a Kelowna woman who was killed by her estranged ex-husband James Plover after a violent daytime attack on July 4. Plover initially faced charges of second-degree murder, but the charges were upgraded to first degree murder on Nov. 25.
“I want to thank Bailey’s family… for their tireless advocacy pushing these major changes that are both possible and necessary. I also want to thank Carrie, who suffered in the attack that took Bailey’s life,” said Caputo in a press release. “Bill C-225 marks an important step toward reforming our criminal justice system. This bill is a historic change that will help protect victims of intimate partner violence.”