Supreme Court recognizes intimate partner violence as civil law basis for damages

The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized intimate partner violence as a distinct legal basis for pursuing civil damages. The ruling came in the case of a woman who suffered years of physical and emotional abuse during a 16-year marriage. The court stated that intimate partner violence is a pernicious social ill deserving the full attention of the law, and that existing torts of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress fail to adequately remedy the specific wrongs to dignity, autonomy, and equality caused by domestic abuse.