A March 18 news release notes there is no civil limitation period to file claims for damages in cases of assault or battery “for acts of a sexual nature” or for “trespass to the person.”
The new legislation, it states, would expand the removal of time limitations for civil damage claims.
“The proposed amendments would expand this to include non-sexual harm that occurred in an intimate personal relationship or in a situation where a person was financially, physically or emotionally dependent on the person who harmed them,” states the release.
It goes on to state that the legislation would “remove limitation periods to file claims for recent or historic misconduct,” including in relationships where there has been sexual assault, intimate partner violence or “similar harm” in a relationship of dependence. Victims would “be able to file claims regardless of when the misconduct took place.”
(The release notes this would exclude cases where a victim “had already settled their claim or it had been decided by the courts.”)
A request to New Brunswick’s government for additional comment and information was not returned by press time.
Statistics Canada has defined intimate partner violence as acts of aggression by current and former spouses, common law partners, dating partners or “other” intimate partners.
This is not the first initiative New Brunswick has taken in its battle against intimate partner and domestic violence.
In December 2023, it was announced the province joined the federal government’s National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, a 10-year initiative where participating provinces and territories are given money towards implementing the plan in their respective jurisdictions. In exchange for signing on, New Brunswick is receiving $16.3 million over four years.
In July 2025, the province announced it would be spending $9.2 million on various services supporting victims of gender-based violence, including emergency transition programs, outreach initiatives and “second-stage” housing.
And in 2023, Ottawa gave New Brunswick $700,000 in support of crisis hotlines for victims.
According to New Brunswick’s government, intimate partner violence increased by 39 per cent in the province between 2009 and 2021. This, it stated, represented the highest increase in Canada for that period.
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