On Oct. 28, the Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women requested that members of the public share their insights, via written briefs (no more than two pages or approximately 1,000 words), by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
The briefs will be publicly available unless otherwise requested. The submissions may be emailed to the committee’s clerk at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online, via the committee’s web page.
The committee said that “protecting the privacy of those who submit briefs remains a priority.”
Its announcement further states, “If you wish to submit a written brief anonymously or do not want a brief to be made public, please inform the clerk of the committee” via email.
The Commons committee study follows the adoption by MPs of a motion on Sept. 15, 2025, which states that committee members agreed to conduct an in-depth study, over at least five meetings, of how s. 810 of the Criminal Code could be improved to ensure the safety of women and children.
The committee said it intends to invite federal Department of Justice officials to provide information on how changes to the bail and sentencing regimes in recent years have impacted deterrence and recidivism rates and the safety of women.
It also plans to invite as witnesses the federal ministers of justice and public safety, police and law enforcement representatives, victims of domestic violence, and “any other witnesses deemed suitable by the committee to appear.”
In addition, the committee said it will ask the federal government to “table a comprehensive response to the report.”
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