Coercive control legislation is a cutting edge tool for law enforcement in domestic abuse prevention. Research has shown that coercive control (also known as intimate terrorism) is the high risk marker for domestic homicide, specifically femicide, filicide, and familicide.
According to the 2018 Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls, 50 000 women were killed globally by an intimate partner or family member.
More countries around the world are recognizing that to end the scourge of domestic homicide coercive control must be criminalized.
Please consider taking action in your country by reaching out to your local representatives, informing them about coercive control, and asking for this lifesaving legislation.
Africa
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | ||||
| Angola | ||||
| Benin | ||||
| Botswana | ||||
| Burkina Faso | ||||
| Burundi | ||||
| Cabo Verde | ||||
| Cameroon | ||||
| Central African Republic | ||||
| Chad | ||||
| Comoros | ||||
| Congo | ||||
| Cote d’Ivoire | ||||
| Djibouti | ||||
| Egypt | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | ||||
| Eritrea | ||||
| Eswatini | ||||
| Ethiopia | ||||
| Gabon | ||||
| Gambia | ||||
| Ghana | ||||
| Guinea | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | ||||
| Kenya | ||||
| Lesotho | ||||
| Liberia | ||||
| Libya | ||||
| Madagascar | ||||
| Malawi | ||||
| Mali | ||||
| Mauritania | ||||
| Mauritius | ||||
| Morocco | ||||
| Mozambique | ||||
| Namibia | ||||
| Niger | ||||
| Nigeria | ||||
| Rwanda | ||||
| Sao Tome and Principe | ||||
| Senegal | ||||
| Seychelles | ||||
| Sierra Leone | ||||
| Somalia | ||||
| South Africa | ||||
| South Sudan | ||||
| Sudan | ||||
| Tanzania | ||||
| Togo | ||||
| Tunisia | ||||
| Uganda | ||||
| Zambia | ||||
| Zimbabwe |
Asia
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | ||||
| Armenia | ||||
| Azerbaijan | ||||
| Bahrain | ||||
| Bangladesh | ||||
| Bhutan | ||||
| Brunei | ||||
| Cambodia | ||||
| China | ||||
| Cyprus | ||||
| East Timor | ||||
| Georgia | ||||
| India | ||||
| Indonesia | ||||
| Iran | ||||
| Iraq | ||||
| Israel | ||||
| Japan | ||||
| Jordan | ||||
| Kazakhstan | ||||
| Kuwait | ||||
| Kyrgystan | ||||
| Laos | ||||
| Lebanon | ||||
| Malaysia | ||||
| Maldives | ||||
| Mongolia | ||||
| Myanmar | ||||
| Nepal | ||||
| North Korea | ||||
| Oman | ||||
| Pakistan | ||||
| Palestine | ||||
| Philippines | ||||
| Qatar | ||||
| Russia | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Singapore | ||||
| South Korea | ||||
| Sri Lanka | ||||
| Syria | ||||
| Taiwan | ||||
| Tajikistan | ||||
| Thailand | ||||
| Turkey | ||||
| Turkmenistan | ||||
| United Arab Emirates | ||||
| Uzbekistan | ||||
| Vietnam | ||||
| Yemen |
Australia
| Countries | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022 | In Force | July 1, 2024 | |
| Queensland | Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Hannah’s Law) | Passed | Annastacia Palaszczuk | March 6, 2024 |
| South Australia | Criminal Law Consolidation (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2023 | Pending | ||
| Tasmania | Family Violence Act (2004) | In Force | 2004 | |
| Victoria | Family Violence Protection Act (Vic) 2008 | In Force | May 3, 2023 | |
| Western Australia |
Central America
| Countries | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize | ||||
| Costa Rica | ||||
| El Salvador | ||||
| Guatemala | ||||
| Honduras | ||||
| Mexico | ||||
| Nicaragua | ||||
| Panama |
Europe
More than 3000 femicides take place in Europe every year. On June 28, 2023, the European Union ratified The Istanbul Convention, also known as The Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. Previously , only twenty one (21) member states had ratified it and only six (6) states were in compliance with Article 33: Psychological Violence: “Parties shall take the necessary legislative or other measures to ensure that the intentional conduct of seriously impairing a person’s psychological integrity through coercion or threats is criminalized.”
The Republic of Ireland alone has passed legislation using the term coercive control, which encompasses the entrapment-based nature of this dynamic.
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Andorra | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Armenia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Singed | January 18, 2018 | |
| Austria | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Azerbaijan | ||||
| Belgium | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 7, 2016 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Bulgaria | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Signed | April 21, 2016 | |
| Croatia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 10, 2018 | |
| Cyprus | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 10, 2018 | |
| Czech Republic | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Signed | February 5, 2016 | |
| Denmark | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Estonia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 2, 2018 | |
| Finland | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2015 | |
| France | Law on Violence Against Women Within Couples Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Enacted In Force | September 10, 2010, January 11, 2014 | |
| Georgia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2017 | |
| Germany | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 2, 2018 | |
| Greece | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 10, 2018 | |
| Hungary | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Signed | March 14, 2014 | |
| Ireland | Domestic Violence Act 2018, Section 39 Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Enacted In Force | 2018 January 7, 2019 | |
| Italy | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Latvia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 5, 2024 | |
| Liechtenstein | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 10, 2021 | |
| Lithuania | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Signed | January 6, 2013 | |
| Luxembourg | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 12, 2018 | |
| Malta | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2014 | |
| Monaco | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 2, 2015 | |
| Montenegro | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Netherlands | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 3, 2016 | |
| North Macedonia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 7, 2018 | |
| Norway | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2017 | |
| Poland | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2017 | |
| Portugal | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2015 | |
| Republic of Moldova | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 5, 2022 | |
| Romania | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 9, 2016 | |
| San Marino | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 5, 2016 | |
| Serbia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 2014 | |
| Slovak Republic | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Signed | November 5, 2011 | |
| Slovenia | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 6, 2015 | |
| Spain | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 8, 204 | |
| Sweden | Law Against Intimate Partner Violence Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | Maj Karlsson | 2010 January 11, 2014 |
| Switzerland | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 4, 2018 | |
| Turkey | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | Denounced | March 22, 2021 | |
| Ukraine | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2022 | |
| United Kingdom | Istanbul Convention: Art. 33 | In Force | January 11, 2022 |
Middle East
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | ||||
| Cyprus | ||||
| Egypt | ||||
| Iran | ||||
| Iraq | ||||
| Israel | ||||
| Jordan | ||||
| Kuwait | ||||
| Lebanon | ||||
| Oman | ||||
| Palestine | ||||
| Qatar | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Syria | ||||
| Turkey | ||||
| The United Arab Emirates | ||||
| Yemen |
North America
Canada
In Bill C-247, Member of Parliament for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke Randall Garrison is proposing an amendment to Canada’s Criminal Code “to create an offense of engaging in controlling or coercive conduct that has a significant impact on the person towards whom the conduct is directed, including a fear of violence, a decline in their physical or mental health and a substantial adverse effect on their day-to-day activities.”
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| British Columbia | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Manitoba | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| New Brunswick | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Nova Scotia | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Ontario | Bill 207 | Enacted | Doug Downey | (circa) March 1, 2021 |
| Prince Edward Island | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Quebec | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
| Saskatchewan | Bill C-332 | Pending | Laurel Collins | November 22, 2021 |
Caribbean
| Countries | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize | ||||
| Costa Rica | ||||
| El Salvador | ||||
| Guatemala | ||||
| Honduras | ||||
| Mexico | ||||
| Nicaragua | ||||
| Panama |
United States of America
South America
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | ||||
| Bolivia | ||||
| Brazil | ||||
| Chile | ||||
| Colombia | ||||
| Ecuador | ||||
| French Guiana *Département of France | ||||
| Guyana | ||||
| Paraguay | ||||
| Peru | ||||
| Suriname | ||||
| Uruguay | ||||
| Venezuela |
United Kingdom
| Country | Bill | Status | Sponsor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Serious Crimes Act | Enacted | December 29, 2015 | |
| Northern Ireland | Bill 03/17-22 | Pending | Naomi Long | |
| Scotland | The Domestic Abuse Act | Enacted | March 9, 2018 | |
| Wales | Serious Crimes Act | Enacted | December 29, 2015 |
Bibliography
- Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, and Senators Berman, Book, Torres, Harrell, and Taddeo. An Act Relating to Domestic Violence and Parental Responsibility Determinations, CS for SB 1106. ↩︎