TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - April 05, 2016) - In response to the highly anticipated verdict in the Jian Ghomeshi sexual assault case, the educational charity Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE) will sponsor Ghomeshi on Trial, a panel debate at the University of Toronto this Friday, April 8th at 7:00PM EST.
The panel will feature National Post columnist Christie Blatchford, Globe and Mail commentator and criminal lawyer David Butt and defence lawyer Richard Litkowski. The event will be moderated by media personality and litigation lawyer Lorne Honickman.
"We must find a way to balance protecting society from sexual assault with the legal rights of the criminally accused," said Edward Sullivan, CAFE Research Director. "There have been no public forums to date for the citizenry to debate this critical balancing act. It's time now for a serious and respectful discussion about the many issues raised by criminal sexual assault cases in Canada."
Should defendants be more easily convicted in the hopes of encouraging more complainants to come forward? Should plaintiffs enjoy immunity from credibility examination? The trial of Jian Ghomeshi has brought forward critical questions which must be confronted directly. Though pervasive in criminal law, these issues are uniquely prominent in sexual assault cases, which often hinge on the testimony of the complainant.
WHEN: Friday, April 8th at 7:00 PM EST
WHERE: J.J.R. Macleod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto
Contact Information:
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Justin Trottier
Executive Director
Canadian Association for Equality
416-402-8856
jtrottier@equalitycanada.com