Statement from the South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia (SALCBC) On the Supreme Court of Canada's Decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia

The South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia (SALCBC) welcomes the Supreme Court of Canada's landmark recognition of a new tort of intimate partner violence rooted in coercive and controlling conduct.

This decision has its roots in an act of courage — a South Asian woman, Kuldeep Ahluwalia, who navigated an 11-day trial largely on her own, without legal representation, to have the truth of her 16 years of abuse seen and named. It is a reminder that behind every legal milestone is a survivor who refused to be invisible.

It is equally significant that the tort of family violence was first recognized by Justice Renu Mandhane of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice — a South Asian jurist sitting in Brampton, one of Canada's most diverse communities. Justice Mandhane understood what the law had long failed to fully grasp: that abuse is not a series of isolated incidents, but a pattern of coercion and control that erodes a person's autonomy, dignity, and sense of self. Her courage to push the law forward, even when it was later challenged on appeal, ultimately helped set the stage for the Supreme Court's affirmation.

Representation matters — in the courtroom, on the bench, and in the law itself. When a South Asian survivor is heard by a South Asian judge who understands the cultural, social, and systemic dimensions of intimate partner violence, the law moves closer to justice.

SALCBC was proud to intervene in this case alongside South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) and the South Asian Bar Association of Ontario, bringing to the Court the voices of racialized, immigrant, and South Asian survivors. For the communities we serve, abuse is shaped by immigration vulnerability, financial dependence, language barriers, family honour, and the involvement of extended family networks. These are not peripheral factors — they are central to how coercive control operates and how it must be understood.

The Supreme Court's decision affirms that the legal system must see the whole person, the whole pattern, and the real barriers survivors face. SALCBC remains committed to ensuring it does.

Acknowledgements

SALCBC wishes to recognize the following individuals for their invaluable contributions to this intervention:

Neha Chugh, who served as counsel for all three intervenors — SALCBC, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO), and the South Asian Bar Association of Ontario — and whose skilled advocacy brought the voices of racialized and immigrant survivors before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Meena Dhillon, one of the founders of SALCBC, whose vision and leadership helped establish the foundation from which this intervention was made possible. Ms. Dhillon collaborated closely with counsel in shaping the submissions.

Shalini Konanur, Executive Director of SALCO, whose expertise and collaboration with SALCBC were integral to the development of the joint submissions presented to the Court.