Today, the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) is releasing two new survey reports as part of its Protection Orders project. The reports bring together the perspectives of 80 participants in the Community Voices Survey and 257 participants in the Professional Perspectives Survey.
While participants overwhelmingly agreed that protection orders are an important safety tool, both surveys identified significant concerns about how Ontario’s current system operates.
Among the key findings:
- The vast majority of participants agreed that protection orders matter (94% in the Community Survey, 93% in the Professional Survey).
- Yet, only a small minority said that protection orders are working well (10% in the Community Survey, 21% in the Professional Survey).
- Access is often slow, complex, and inconsistent.
- Breaches are common, and enforcement is frequently inadequate.
- Poor coordination between legal systems can undermine safety.
- Participants called for stronger enforcement, improved access, better coordination, and enhanced training for professionals.
Each report opens with an executive summary that outlines some of the key stats and findings. Read the Community Survey and the Professional Survey reports to get the full picture.
Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. Your contributions are helping shape recommendations for a more effective protection order system in Ontario.
A final report for the Protection Orders project will be released in 2027.
