Eby says he’ll keep lobbying for slain woman’s family, who wanted more from bail law

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government is not done yet advocating for the family of Kelowna woman Bailey McCourt, whose ex-husband has been charged with murdering her hours after he was released on bail in July.

While federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser says B.C. government lobbying on the McCourt case is reflected in several elements of Canada’s new bail reform legislation, Eby acknowledges that the law does not include “everything” that the family or he wants.

He says the province will continue to advocate for McCourt’s family and he was planning to meet with them later Monday.

Eby, speaking at a joint news conference with Fraser, says he’s glad the federal legislation tabled last week is “addressing some of the issues” that came out of the case.

The legislation toughens sentences for several crimes and expands the burden of proof for bail from the prosecution to the accused, in a principle known as reverse onus.

Fraser says that his government will continue to receive feedback from families impacted by crime, adding that his government plans to table further legislation around intimate-partner violence by the end of the year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2025.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press