The purpose of this research study is to examine how Canada addresses the issue of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) through the Canadian Criminal Code, as no official code of Intimate Partner Violence exists in current legislation. To critically examine how Canada codifies this issue, I propose the question, "How can amendments to the Canadian Criminal Code impact Intimate Partner Violence?" To further address this question, I have included two additional sub-questions: What calls for revision are in place for the Canadian Criminal Code as it applies to IPV? How have other countries' codifications impacted IPV? To answer these questions, I have utilized both primary and secondary research methods. Content analysis, being the primary research method employed in this study, has allowed me to compare and contrast how Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia all codify Intimate Partner Violence. Secondary research was used to supplement the primary research and to further provide context to the issue of Intimate Partner Violence. An analysis of similarities and differences between these three countries creates the basis on which I begin to answer my research questions. A similarity in how Intimate Partner Violence is charged across each country is found. Differences between these countries also exist in that both the United Kingdom and Australia have working definitions of Intimate Partner Violence and coercive control codes, while Canada seems to be lacking these two distinct additions.
