Robson Crim Legal Blog

For much of Canadian legal history, the criminal justice system treated crime as a dispute between the state and the accused, leaving victims largely peripheral. Although victims were essential to investigations and prosecutions, they had few recognized rights and little access to information or participation.[i] Over time, public policy has shifted from this exclusion toward recognizing the importance of supporting and involving victims more fully in the justice process.[ii]

Amy and Georgia from Robson Hall discuss the evolution of victims' rights in Canada, highlighting historical exclusion and recent advancements. They explain how victims' rights have shifted from being nearly invisible to formally recognized, though still with limited enforcement. Key developments include the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982), provincial Victims' Bills of Rights, and the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (2015)

In this piece, I wish to explore why I retained independent legal counsel and the potential implications for future sexual assault...