We certainly do hear a lot in our office about coercive control challenges with family court. I have more concern, to be honest, about how these issues play out in family court than how they're likely to play out in the criminal court. The interplay between the criminal justice system and family court affects people in real time, in custody decisions with their children.
It's a challenging space to find the right balance between protections for somebody who has been accused and the rights and needs of the person who has been harmed.
I do think there is a risk for this to be abused and for allegations of coercive control to be provided flippantly in family court. I think that happens in family court already, but if it's a criminalized offence, then that creates complicated follow-up.