Pressure grows to mandate sex-assault training for judges
Tory MPP blasts government for ‘mixed signals’ and failing to introduce legislation
Pressure is growing on Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government to introduce mandatory sex-assault training for judges.
Progressive Conservative MPP Laurie Scott blasted the Liberals for failing to introduce legislation that would compel candidates for the bench to be specifically trained on sex-assault laws, evidence, sexual consent and stereotypes.
“Our judges should have the tools they need to treat these cases with the utmost sensitivity,” Scott, her party’s women’s issues critic, told the legislature.
“I’ve spoken with many women’s and victims’ services organizations, and all of them support mandatory sexual-assault law training. This is a non-partisan issue. We must protect women from being re-victimized, especially after having the bravery to come forward about their experiences in the first place.”
Two weeks ago, Scott urged the government to make changes, and Wednesday tabled a private member’s bill so that no one could be appointed to the bench “unless he or she has completed comprehensive sexual-assault law education.”
Her bill would also force existing judges and justices to be trained as part of their continuing education.
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi has repeatedly said the government cannot interfere with judicial independence and that voluntary training is available.
However, on Thursday, Liberal MPP Cristina Martins introduced a similar private member’s bill calling for training for only judges-to-be.
The bills are in response to an outcry after several cases across the country — including the infamous “knees together” judge in Calgary and another in Halifax who acquit- ted a taxi driver, ruling it was possible the severely intoxicated woman consented — and is similar to one introduced federally that is being fasttracked with the support of all three parties.
Scott has chastised the government for sending “mixed signals . . . on what is a clear issue: doing what’s right to protect sexual-assault survivors. What you’re doing is appalling,” she said during a fiery exchange in the legislature Wednesday.
Thursday, Marie-France Lalonde, minister of community safety and correctional services, said “sexual assault is a very, very serious issue that demands attention from all levels of government” and that “we are actively looking into what more can be done.”
“I’ll say that as a member of this House, as a woman, as a mother, I know how this issue is sensitive and important,” she said, “and I know that we can do more.”
Victims’ groups have questioned why the government is not acting quickly on judges’ training, when it has made combating sexual assault a priority — launching the high-profile “It’s Never Okay” awareness campaign around sexual assault and violence, piloting new programs and also increasing funding for sexual-assault centres.