Should Partners Be Able to Check for Domestic Violence History? (Clare's Law)

Official title: Clare’s Law phase 2 engagement

Closed Regulations & Permits Health & Safety Justice & Rights
Alberta gathered feedback on how to implement Clare's Law, which lets people find out if their partner has a violent past. The law came into effect April 1, 2021. It gives people at risk the information they need to protect themselves from domestic violence.

Why This Matters

Worried about a new partner's past? This law lets you ask police to check. Alberta has the fourth-highest rate of intimate partner violence in Canada. Half of young women killed by domestic violence are murdered by someone with prior convictions.

What Could Change

Clare's Law is now in effect. People at risk can apply to have a partner's history checked. Police can also proactively warn someone if they believe that person is in danger. Personal information is protected—only relevant details are shared.

Key Issues

  • How should regulations for Clare's Law be designed?
  • How should the implementation plan work in practice?
  • How can the law protect privacy while sharing relevant information?

How to Participate

  1. This consultation is now closed. The engagement gathered feedback through an online survey from key organizations and people with lived experience.
  2. Visit Clare's Law for more information or to apply to have someone's past checked.

What Happened

Phase 2 engagement closed July 13, 2020. Feedback was gathered through an online survey from key organizations and people with lived experience helping survivors of domestic violence. Regulations and an implementation plan for Clare's Law came into effect on April 1, 2021.