West Coast LEAF intervenes in cases that will contribute to gender equality in British Columbia and Canada. Our current and past cases can be found on our cases page. Below we have provided some answers to frequently asked questions about our litigation work in the courts.
Case summary This case is about how courts approach credibility analysis in sexual assault cases. In this case, the complainant alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the accused while she was affected by alcohol consumption. At the BC Supreme Court, the trial judge convicted the accused of sexual assault, finding that the survivor’s account that … Read more HMK v Tsang [2023]
Case summary This case is about the proper interpretation and application of BC’s Protection of Public Participation Act (PPPA). The PPPA was enacted to stop corporations and people with power from using the legal system to silence those who speak out on public interest matters. Section 4 of the PPPA allows a court to dismiss an otherwise meritorious lawsuit when the … Read more Hansman v Neufeld [2022]
R. v Ellis is about the sentencing of drug users who sell small amounts of fentanyl at the street level as a means…
Case summary This case is about when and how an appeal court can consider new information when deciding an appeal of a family law decision. From a bigger picture perspective, it is also about how deferential (respectful) appeal courts should be towards factual findings by trial judges, including findings of family violence. The parties in … Read more Barendregt v Grebliunas [2021]
Case summary This case is about whether the Criminal Code recognizes that a person can consent to sex on the condition that their partner wears a condom. When a person insists on condom use, does their partner commit sexual assault if they sabotage their condom, remove their condom during sex without their partner’s knowledge (a practice often … Read more R. v Kirkpatrick [2021]
This case is about the constitutionality of s. 96 of BC’s child welfare legislation, the Child, Family, and Community Service Act. Under s. 96…
This case is about the constitutionality of certain rules of evidence in criminal sexual assault cases…
This family law case is about access to child support. The case clarified the situations in which a court can reduce a payor’s historical child support…
This case is a challenge to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) and related provisions…