Parental Alienation Allegations: The Standing Committee on the Status of Women Recommends Reforming the Divorce Act

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women on coercive control and supports its recommendations to amend the Divorce Act to prevent the use of parental alienation allegations in cases of intimate partner violence or child abuse. 

The report, tabled in the House of Commons on November 25, 2025, recognizes coercive control as a form of intimate partner violence characterized by repeated and ongoing behaviours of psychological abuse, intimidation, stalking, and isolation that undermine the autonomy and safety of women and their children.  

The Committee also recognizes that the way that accusations of parental alienation have been used in family law disputes can be abusive, founded on discriminatory stereotypes, and can themselves be a form of coercive and controlling behaviour. 

In doing so, the Committee adds to the growing pressure to legislate to protect women and children who are victims of violence from parental alienation accusations, as recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2024. 

Addressing Problematic Claims of Parental Alienation in Family Law 

“According to witnesses, parental alienation arguments have been used in family law disputes to refute allegations of violence made by women and children and to place children in the custody of an abuser. Some witnesses argued the theory of parental alienation has contributed to a focus on parental rights rather than the best interests of the child in family courts,” writes the Committee. 

The report also warns against practices such as “reunification therapy”, which can be traumatic for children and serve as additional tools of coercion and institutional violence. 

“Accusations that the mother is trying to get revenge or manipulate the child are the weapon of choice for abusers in Canada,” says Suzanne Zaccour, Director of Legal Affairs for the National Association of Women and the Law. “We are thankful that the Committee listened to experts and survivors and addressed this widespread facet of coercive control”.  

NAWL reiterates its support for the Committee’s recommendations, including: 

• That the Government of Canada amend the Divorce Act to prevent parental alienation claims from being misused in cases of domestic violence or child abuse and from resulting in custody reversals or no contact order against the preferred parent. 

• That it recognizes that coercive control is a form of abuse but ensures that any criminalization of coercive control is worded to prevent misuse against mothers accused of parental alienation. 

• That it amends the Divorce Act to allow judges to appoint legal counsel to represent children in family court proceedings involving allegations of domestic violence or parental alienation. 

Bill C-223, Keeping Children Safe Act, currently at second reading in the House of Commons, would respond to the Committee’s recommendations by ensuring that the best interest of the child is the sole guiding principle in parenting decisions, free from myths or stereotypes linked to intimate partner violence and parental alienation allegations.  

Among the proposed reforms, the bill would put an end to: 

• forced reunification therapy;  

• cutting contact with a safe, bonded parent;  

• court-ordered efforts to force relationships with abusive parents.  

For NAWL, the Committee’s report represents a major step forward in recognizing parental alienation accusations as a legal and social issue requiring a coordinated and feminist response.