legal

Domestic Violence & Police Response in Nunavut

What survivors can expect when police respond to domestic violence calls in Nunavut.

Nunavutpolice

SAFETY WITH POLICE

When Police Are Involved After Relationship Harm

When Police First Arrive

If police come to a home or location after a call about relationship harm, they usually:

Make sure no one is in immediate danger and check for injuries
Separate people to speak with them one at a time
Ask what happened and if there were any witnesses
Look for signs of harm or damage (for example, broken items, injuries)
Ask about children, older adults, and others present
Check if there are any current court orders, peace bonds, or protection orders

Police procedures can differ by province or territory, but officers generally focus first on immediate safety and whether a crime may have taken place.

What You Can Choose to Share

When speaking with police, a person can:

Share what happened in their own words
Mention any past incidents or threats, if they feel able
Tell police about weapons in the home
Share safety concerns about children or other dependents
Tell police about any existing orders (Emergency Protection Orders, restraining orders, peace bonds, bail conditions, etc.)

If speaking near the other person does not feel safe, you can ask to talk to police in another room or space if that is possible in the moment.

How Police Decide on Arrest vs Release

Police use their local laws, policies, and training to decide what to do after a relationship harm call. This can include deciding whether to:

Arrest and hold the person for a bail hearing
Arrest and then release the person with conditions
Not arrest, but document the incident and possibly make a report

Factors Police May Consider

Across Canada, factors can include:

Whether police believe a criminal offence may have happened
Risk of immediate or future harm to anyone involved
Visible injuries or damage to property
Use or presence of weapons
Past police calls or reports involving the same people
Existing court orders or conditions already in place
Whether children were present or affected

In many parts of Canada, police are strongly encouraged or required to lay charges when they believe a relationship-violence offence has occurred, even if the person harmed does not want charges. Exact rules depend on the province or territory.

What Arrest Can Look Like

If police arrest someone after a relationship-harm call, it may result in:

The person being taken to a station for processing
A decision about release, either by police or a justice official
Short-term conditions, such as not contacting certain people or staying away from certain places

What Release Can Look Like

If the person is released instead of held in custody, it may involve:

No conditions at all (in some cases)
Written conditions, such as no-contact or “do not attend” certain locations
A court date they must attend

Police do not control later court decisions. Conditions can change at bail hearings or later court dates, sometimes with little notice.

Understanding No-Contact Conditions

No-contact conditions are rules that say one person is not allowed to contact another person, usually set by police, a justice of the peace, or a judge. They can appear in:

Police release documents or undertakings
Bail orders
Probation orders or peace bonds
Protection orders or restraining orders, depending on the region

What No-Contact Often Includes

No-contact conditions often say the person must not:

Contact the named person in any way (phone, text, email, social media, or through others)
Come to the person’s home, workplace, or other named locations
Have someone else contact the person on their behalf, except for specific, allowed reasons (for example, through a lawyer)

Sometimes, exceptions are written into conditions (for example, text only about childcare). The exact wording on the document controls what is and is not allowed.

If You Are the Protected Person

If no-contact conditions are in place to protect you, it can help to:

Keep a copy of the order or conditions in a safe, accessible place
Consider sharing a copy with trusted supports, such as a school or workplace, if you feel it is safe
Document any attempts to contact you, including dates, times, and what happened

If you believe the other person is breaking no-contact rules, you can choose to tell police what is happening. Police then decide how to respond under local laws and policies.

If You Live or Share Children Together

No-contact rules can be complicated when people share a home, children, or finances. Sometimes, conditions are written to allow limited, structured contact, such as:

Communication through a third party about children
Contact only to arrange parenting time, often in writing
Contact only with a peace officer present

If conditions are unclear, a legal clinic or duty counsel in your province or territory may be able to explain how they are usually applied, but they cannot guarantee outcomes in your situation.

Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs) and Police

Some provinces and territories use Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs) or similar orders under family- or protection-focused laws. Names and processes vary, but these orders usually:

Are meant for urgent safety concerns
Are issued quickly, sometimes by phone through a judge or designated official
Can include conditions similar to no-contact and “do not attend” rules

How Police May Interact With an EPO

Where EPOs or similar orders exist, police may:

Serve (deliver) the order to the other person so they know about it
Check their systems to confirm that an order exists and what it says
Use the order, along with other information, to decide how to respond to calls
Consider the order when deciding whether to lay charges related to breaches

Having an EPO or similar order does not guarantee a particular police response, but it can provide a clear, written record of conditions that police can see and act on.

If an EPO and Criminal Conditions Both Exist

Sometimes, a person may be protected by more than one type of order or condition at the same time. For example:

An Emergency Protection Order with family-law style conditions
Criminal bail conditions saying the same person must not contact them

In these situations:

Police usually look at all active orders and conditions together
If there is a conflict between orders, a court may later need to clarify or change them
Police may focus on the conditions that provide the higher level of safety while they sort out the situation

Letting Police Know About Your Order

If police respond to a call and there is an EPO or other order in place, it can help to:

Show them a copy of the order, if it is safe to access
Tell them where any children are and whether they are included in the order
Explain briefly how the other person may have broken the order, if that is what happened

Police then decide whether they believe there has been a breach and what steps to take under local law.

Additional Support and Information

Some people find it helpful to speak with a local support worker or legal information service to better understand police processes, EPOs, and no-contact conditions in their own province or territory. Additional support options across Canada can also be found through resources listed at DV.Support.