June 22: Extreme Intoxication and Sexual Assault: Breaking Down the SCC Sullivan, Chan and Brown Decision
Join us and our partners for this timely virtual panel discussion on June 22.
When the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in May that accused persons can raise self-induced extreme intoxication as a defense to certain crimes, including sexual assault, some concern was raised and misinformation shared. This panel will be an opportunity to learn from legal experts what is true and false in the context of the court’s holding and explore what must be done to urgently address sexual violence in Canada meaningfully.
Panellists: Chloe Kemeni (She/Her), BCL/JD Candidate at McGill Faculty of Law, Black Law Students’ Association of Canada, Daphne Gilbert, Professor of Law, University of Ottawa, Pam Hrick, LEAF Canada and Vanshika Dhawan, MPC, JD Candidate, Class of 2022, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law.
Moderated by: Farrah Khan, Manager of Consent Comes First, Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Panelists
Chloe Kemeni (she/her/elle) is a BCL/JD Candidate at McGill Faculty of Law. She is also the National Director of Advocacy, Black Law Students’ Association of Canada where she leads initiatives and supports Black law students across Canada to address systemic racism, anti-Blackness and inclusion in law schools and the Canadian legal field. Having graduated with BA in Sociology and Gender Studies, most of her time at McGill has been dedicated to various social justice initiatives and student government. She utilizes the teachings of Black Feminist and Womanist thoughts on racial justice, sexual violence prevention and community building. Outside of campus, worked at SAVIS doing anti-racism and oppression public education for SAVIS, regularly meeting with community members and agencies to address racial injustice within Halton. Prior to this, she offered front-line support to survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. In the future, Chloe hopes to use the intersections of law, race, sexual violence and technology to support access to justice for Black survivors and shape public policy.
Professor Gilbert (she/her) specializes in teaching criminal and constitutional law, including courses in Criminal Law and Procedure, American Constitutional Law, and Advanced Sexual Assault law. She also teaches a course on Animals and the Law. Her research interests lie primarily in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with a particular emphasis on equality rights, reproductive rights, medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and sexual violence. Her most recent work considers the impact of conscience protections on access to contraception, abortion and MAiD in Canada. She joined the faculty at the University of Ottawa after obtaining an LLM from Yale University as a Fulbright and SSHRC scholar. She clerked for Chief Justice Antonio Lamer at the Supreme Court of Canada and Mr. Justice Robertson at the Federal Court of Appeal. She is President of the Board of “Women Help Women”, an international abortion service provider. She also sits on the Boards of Dying with Dignity Canada and the International Planned Parenthood Federation-Canada.
Vanshika Dhawan (she/her) is is an alumna of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, class of 2022. She has written several academic papers and opinion editorials based on her research on sexual and gender-based violence, specifically in legal and media contexts. She is also passionate about policy work, with experience at both the provincial and federal levels. Vanshika will be completing her articles at a law firm in Toronto, primarily working in sexual assault and abuse civil litigation.
Pam Hrick (she/her) is the Executive Director & General Counsel at LEAF, Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. She leads and manages LEAF’s legal activities and daily operations, and works with the Board to develop the vision and strategic plan for the organization. She provides leadership, expertise, support, and direction to LEAF’s work on litigation, law reform, and public education. Pam joined LEAF from Stockwoods LLP, where she practiced law for several years. She previously clerked for the Hon. Justice Thomas A. Cromwell at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Hon. Justice David Stratas at the Federal Court of Appeal. Before commencing her legal career, Ms. Hrick also served as the Legislative Advisor and Issues Manager to the Attorney General of Ontario. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa, her JD from Queen’s University, and her LLM from New York University.
Farrah Khan (she/her) has worked for over two decades to raise awareness about equity and gender-based violence through education, policy, advocacy and art. She is the manager of Consent Comes First, Toronto Metropolitan University’s sexual violence and support office, Executive Director of Possibility Seeds, and a member of the Government of Canada’s Federal Strategy Against Gender-based Violence Advisory Council. Farrah is the recipient of numerous awards including the Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital People Award.
Hosted by: Consent Comes First, the Office Of Sexual Violence Support and Education, Sexual Assault Centre of Guelph University, Sexual Assault Support Centre, Queen’s University, LEAF Canada, University of Ottawa, and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre at UofT.