1.%20Canada%20(Justice)%20v.%20Khadr%20%5B2008%5D_1. Nova Scotia justice department reviewing alleged sexual assault before girl’s suicide. Zoom Leah Parsons says her daughter was never the same after the night four boys sexually assaulted her. And when one of the boys circulated a cellphone picture of the alleged sexual assault around their Nova Scotia high school, Rehtaeh Parsons immediately dropped out. She lost many of her friends, and depression quickly set in. After an 18-month battle with suicidal thoughts, Rehtaeh Parsons finally took her own life last week.
The girl’s mother has now gone online to speak out against an RCMP investigation that she says wrongly concluded without any criminal charges. “Rehtaeh is gone today because of the four boys that thought that raping a 15-year-old girl was OK and to distribute a photo to ruin her spirit and reputation would be fun,” her mother, Leah, wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on the girl’s memorial page.
“The justice system failed her. “In regards to the issue of second-guessing the police at every case, no, I’m not going to do that.” Parsons drifted deeper into depression. Prostitution laws struck down by Ont. court - Canada. Terri-Jean Bedford, left, and Valerie Scott, shown in 2009, along with a third woman, launched a constitutional challenge of Canada's anti-prostitution laws. An Ontario court ruled Tuesday the Criminal Code provisions relating to prostitution contribute to the danger faced by sex-trade workers.
((Michael Turschic/CBC)) An Ontario court has thrown out key provisions of Canada's anti-prostitution laws in response to a constitutional challenge by a Toronto dominatrix and two prostitutes in 2009. Ontario's Superior Court of Justice ruled Tuesday the Criminal Code provisions relating to prostitution contribute to the danger faced by sex-trade workers. In her ruling, Justice Susan Himel said it now falls to Parliament to "fashion corrective action. " "It is my view that in the meantime these unconstitutional provisions should be of no force and effect, particularly given the seriousness of the charter violations," Himel wrote. The judge suspended the effect of the decision for 30 days.
Self-defence: What's acceptable under Canadian law? - Canada. The assault charges laid recently against a Toronto restaurant owner who fought a man who he accused of being a thief, along with a number of high-profile self-defence cases in the U.S., have led to questions around property rights and self-defence laws in Canada. Criminal lawyer Howard Cohen adds that there is a "huge misconception" in Canada regarding the use of self-defence, and many people think they don’t have any rights. The laws around self-defence are a grey area — the criminal code states a property owner can only make a citizen's arrest if the alleged wrongdoer is caught in the act. But many people don’t take in to account, "the flexibility and reasonableness of our juries," a factor that has affected many cases where people have acted to defend themselves or their property, Cohen says. Stephen Harper introduced legislation last year to try and clarify the self-defence rights of Canadians.
"This area is less grey than others. "You could use a significant amount of force. Charter of Rights and Freedom 1982. CBC News: Ban overt religious signs in public service, PQ says | IFPS Canada supporting free speech and a free press in Canada and the U.S. The Parti Québecois wants to introduce a secular charter and ban all civil servants from wearing or exposing overt religious symbols.
This isn't the first time the Parti Québecois has mentioned the introduction of a secular charter aimed at making sure public and parapublic institutions are free of religious bias and symbols. At a news conference on Monday in Maskinongé, northeast of Montreal, leader Pauline Marois said freedom of religion would be integrated in the charter. "Before having it contested, we will present it, debate it and adopt it.
If it has to be contested, for now it's a hypothetical question. We will fight for what we need because we think this is essential for the public's well-being by taking its values and writing them in a charter," said Marois. Under this charter, civil servants would not be allowed to wear conspicuous religious symbols. The crucifix at the National Assembly, however, would remain untouched.