Sexual Assault

On June 3, 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal released a long-awaited judgment on the issue of the constitutionality of s.33.1 of the Criminal Code. If you listened to the media and some social media accounts, you would likely be thinking that this decision has...

Il y a toujours un gros éléphant rose dans la salle d'audience lors d'un procès pour agression sexuelle. POURQUOI une plaignante inventerait-elle cet horrible mensonge. POURQUOI irait-elle voir la police pour se plaindre et POURQUOI subirait-elle...

There is always a big pink elephant in the courtroom at a sexual assault trial. Why would a complainant make up this horrendous lie, go to the police complain and then put herself through a trial where she will be cross-examined? Does the defence have to demonstrate...

In a case called Goldfinch, the Supreme Court of Canada considered whether the trial judge should have admitted evidence that Mr. Goldfinch and the complainant in a sexual assault case were in a "friends with benefits" relationship. At trial, the evidence was admitted...

In a recent case in the Onatrio Superior Court of Justice, the mandatory minimum one year jail sentence for Sexual Exploitation was found to be unconstitutional.  This decision is part of what is now a long line of cases where mandatory minimum senteces for sexual...

Mandatory minimum senteces for sexual offences are continuing to fall. The mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for sexual interference when the Crown proceeds by indictment has previuosly been declared unconstitutional in many cases Now, the mandatory...

In a recent case in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, R. v. Hussein, the accused brought an application to have the mandatory minimum sentence for the offences of invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference and sexual assault of one year in jail struck...

Although the age of consent in Canada is 16, in some cases you can still be convicted of an offence for engaging in sexual activity with someone over the age of 16 but under the age of 18. If you are in a position of trust or authority towards a young person, or the...

If you have been charged with Invitation to Sexual Touching pursuant to s. 152 of the Criminal Code you may be wondering what exactly this allegation involves. The section states that every person who, for a sexual purpose, invites, counsels or incites a person under...

The offence of sexual interference applies to situations in which there is any touching of a minor in a sexual manner. This can include masturbation, oral sex or intercourse. Section 151 of the Criminal Code states that every person who, for a sexual purpose, touches,...