Canada Passes Major Election Integrity and Intimate‑Partner‑Violence Reforms

The Canadian government approved two federal bills in June 2026. Bill C‑25, the Election Integrity Act, received royal assent, introducing bans on AI‑generated deceptive content, stricter data‑protection rules for parties, tougher penalties for election‑law breaches, limits on long ballot formats and tighter controls on foreign or anonymous campaign financing. The law also expands the powers of the Commissioner of Federal Elections.

Bill C‑225, known as Bailey’s Law, also obtained royal assent. The legislation amends the Criminal Code to treat murders linked to a history of coercive control as first‑degree murder, impose life‑sentence terms for certain manslaughter cases involving intimate‑partner violence, extend evidence‑seizure detention periods, and remove parole eligibility for at least ten years. The bill is named after Bailey McCourt, a victim of a fatal intimate‑partner attack, and will come into force within 30 days.