With domestic violence on the rise in the province over the past two years, calls for more to be done to protect victims and to target offenders have been mounting.
As reported here last week, there has been a sharp increase in women and children being victimized by family members, leading to a spike in calls for emergency protection orders, according to Legal Aid Alberta.
While reducing domestic violence in Alberta will no doubt take time and effort from all stakeholders, a recent move to strengthen and improve the province’s Clare’s Law is a positive step.
The law allows applicants to access information about an intimate partner’s past and whether that person has a history of violence. The government has announced changes to make Clare’s Law more efficient, easier to navigate and more responsive.
The changes also include adjustments to the risk analysis process to speed up applications and provide more comprehensive information to applicants.
“Giving people access to the right information could potentially save their lives, and we continue to improve the program to make sure it is responsive to the complex needs of those who may be at risk of intimate partner violence,” said Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro.
Since coming into effect, there have been more than 300 disclosures issued under Alberta’s Clare’s Law.
Jason Luan, Minister of Community Service and Social Services, says the legislation has become an important public safety measure.
“The significant uptake of Clare’s Law shows us this tool is a value resource for at-risk Albertans and help them make better decisions about their lives,” said Luan. “I urge any Albertan who feels they might be at risk to submit a Clare’s Law application. You have the right to know about your partner’s past.”
Recent updates to Clare’s Law to make the legislation easier to use and more effective are certainly in the best interest of the public-at-large.
Hopefully further efforts will be forthcoming to better protect victims of domestic violence in every Alberta community.
- Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan
