In Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia 2026 SCC 16, the Supreme Court of Canada recognised (6-3) a new tort of intimate partner violence, based on coercive and controlling behaviour, overturning the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision that the character of intimate partner violence could be captured by the existing torts of battery, assault and intention to inflict emotional distress, but agreeing with the level of damages awarded, $100,000. Amrit Pal Singh Ahluwalia had been subject to abuse by her husband, Kuldeep Kaur Ahluwalia, over their 16-year marriage, which included but was not limited to physical assault, emotional and psychological abuse, social isolation, economic control, and sexual coercion … (more)
[Nikki Godden-Rasul, Oxford Human Rights Hub, 5 June 2026]
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