Farris Partner Todd Bell recently presented to members of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories on the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, which recognized a new private law tort of intimate partner violence.

Together with Caitlin Ohama-Darcus of Lawson Lundell LLP, Todd discussed where the decision fits within the broader landscape of family violence jurisprudence in British Columbia and its interplay with the Family Law Act. The presentation also addressed practical considerations for counsel, including the appropriateness and proportionality of advancing a claim, limitation issues, pleading requirements and the assessment of damages.

Todd is an experienced family law litigator and trial lawyer. He practices parenting and custody litigation, assists parties seeking emergency protection from family violence and divides high net-worth assets such as corporate interests, trusts, foreign property, and pensions.