Sentencing for Intimate Partner Violence in Canada

'This study examines the use of s.718.2(a)(ii) in case law since its enactment in 1996. Section 718.2(a)(ii) was enacted in response to a history of courts both trivializing male intimate partner violence against women (MIPVW) and courts putting primary focus on the preservation of the family relationship rather than on the safety of the complainant. Using a sample of cases decided under s.718.2(a)(ii) this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this legislative mandatory aggravating factor. The primary sample is comprised of all appellate cases referencing the section as well as all trial cases referencing the section from the years 1998, 2007 and 2015'--Exec. summary.