Commitment overview
Time commitment: Low-medium
Cost: None
Do I need a lawyer? No
Do I need to go to court? No
Providing support to a party, intervener, or witness involved in a feminist strategic litigation (FSL) case is a great way to inform a case and its outcome. Here are some ways that you can provide support:
If you or your organization doesn’t have the capacity to get directly involved in a case but wants to contribute, helping a party or intervener shape their arguments could be a way to support their work as well as get your perspective and expertise before the courts. At LEAF, we often convene a group of subject matter experts to help put our intervention materials together.
Often times, legal cases and decisions aren’t the most accessible or easy to understand. Getting key information out to communities that will be impacted by a particular case is important in ensuring maximum impact. There are many ways to get the word out about an FSL case or decision – using the channels you typically use to communicate to your networks (for example, social media, e-newsletters, meeting updates) can be a great way to start.
When the Supreme Court ruling on extreme intoxication came out in 2022, there was a lot of confusion and fear about whether drunkenness could be used as a valid defence in sexual assault cases (the answer is no!). To counter some of the misinformation circulating around this case, LEAF partnered with Consent Comes First to create social media posts and an op-ed explaining the facts of the case. These are just a couple examples of ways you can help reach communities that may be impacted by an FSL case.
Going through the court process, whether as a party or a witness, can be extremely difficult and retraumatizing for survivors. If your organization provides frontline services such as counselling or court accompaniment, extending available services to a survivor involved in an FSL case can be one way to support them through the process.