Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform v. Canada (Attorney General)
This case is about the constitutionality of Criminal Code sex work provisions. LEAF will intervene before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Facts In 2014, Parliament passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). PCEPA established Canada’s current sex work laws after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the previous sex work laws in Canada (Attorney General) […]
Hak v. Attorney General of Quebec
This case is about discrimination against women who wear religious symbols. LEAF, in partnership with the Fédération des Femmes du Québec (FFQ), will intervene before the Quebec Court of Appeal. Facts Law 21, An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State, restricts the wearing of religious symbols in certain professions with the goal of affirming Québec as a secular state. For example, women […]
R. v. Brown
This case concerns the ability to use self-induced extreme intoxication as a defence to assault and sexual assault offences. LEAF intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada. Facts Mr. Brown consumed alcohol and magic mushrooms while at a party. He then broke into two homes. While in the first home, he attacked a woman and caused her […]
Mass Casualty Commission
The Mass Casualty Commission is investigating the April 18-19, 2020 mass casualty event in Nova Scotia. LEAF is participating in the Commission’s proceedings in coalition with Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and Wellness Within. Facts On April 18 and 19, 2020, a man killed 22 people in Nova Scotia. The mass casualty event also caused significant […]
A.S. v. H.M.Q.
This case concerns the rights of complainants in sexual assault trials. LEAF intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada. Facts This case involves a constitutional challenge to the legal framework governing what happens when an accused person has a sexual assault complainant’s private records in their possession. Under that framework, the accused person cannot surprise the complainant with these records during their trial. Instead, […]
R. v. Kirkpatrick
This case concerns the meaning of consent in sexual assault law. LEAF intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada. Facts This case deals with the boundaries of consent to sexual activity under Canadian criminal law. The complainant testified that she insisted the accused use a condom during sex. The first time he used one, but the second time he did not. This raises the question: if someone is asked […]
Canadian Council for Refugees, et al. v. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al. (2021, 2022)
This case concerns the constitutionality of the Safe Third Country Agreement, and the equality rights of women fleeing gender-based violence and persecution. LEAF, in partnership with West Coast LEAF and the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, sought leave to intervene before the Federal Court of Appeal. LEAF, West Coast LEAF, and the Asper Centre will […]
Colucci v. Colucci (2021)
This case concerned retroactive decreases in child support obligations, and the impact of those reductions on women and children’s substantive equality. LEAF intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada. Facts Over 16 years, a father chronically underpaid child support to a mother, resulting in a debt of over $170,000. During that time, the father failed […]
Jackson Estate v. Young (2020)
This case concerned whether or not a common-law spouse is entitled to any part of their spouse’s estate when that spouse dies without a will. LEAF was granted leave to intervene before the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. Unfortunately, Bill Young ultimately filed a notice of discontinuance on the appeal, as he was unable to cover the costs associated with the […]
R. v. Slatter (2020)
This case concerned access to justice for women labelled with intellectual disabilities. LEAF, in partnership with the DisAbled Women’s Network Canada (DAWN) and ARCH Disability Law Centre (LEAF-DAWN-ARCH), intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada. Facts In this case, a woman labelled with an intellectual disability disclosed sexual assault. At trial, defence counsel argued that […]
