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The House of Commons has passed a proposed amendment to the Criminal Code named after a Kelowna woman who was allegedly killed by her estranged husband in a brutal daylight attack.
Bill C-225, or Bailey’s Law, is a Conservative private member’s bill named after Bailey McCourt, a 32-year-old mother of two killed in a Kelowna parking lot in July 2025.
McCourt’s estranged husband, James Plover, who was convicted of assault and released from court pending sentencing in a separate case just hours before her death, has been charged with first-degree murder.
McCourt’s case has become a rallying point for those arguing the criminal justice system needs to better protect victims of domestic violence.
Carrie Wiebe lost her friend Bailey McCourt when both women were attacked in a Kelowna, B.C., parking lot. McCourt’s ex-husband is charged in the attack, and now Wiebe is pushing for change that she says could help protect women like McCourt.
The bill was tabled by Frank Caputo, Conservative MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola, and proposes several changes to the code.
Those changes include making the killing of an intimate partner an automatic first-degree murder charge; empowering courts to hold individuals charged with domestic assault for up to seven days for a risk assessment if there are red flags; and changing bail rules for those with a previous domestic violence conviction.
While the bill passed second reading unanimously, third reading was passed “on division,” which allows members of Parliament to approve bills without having to register their support or their disapproval.
It essentially means that the parties don’t agree on the piece of legislation in question, but don’t feel the need to have a head count on who supports it and who doesn’t, instead allowing it to move to Senate.
“I can’t tell you how profoundly honoured I am to have sponsored this bill,” Caputo said in a video update posted to social media announcing the bill had been passed.
He thanked everyone who helped make it a reality, in particular McCourt’s family.
The bill will now head to the Senate for debate before it can become a law.
Plover’s trial is ongoing with a scheduling appearance set for May 1.
