Legal experts call for update to sexual assault laws after Ghomeshi acquittal
"You can tweak the system, you can criticize the system in a knowledgeable way, and it does, it constantly gets recalibrated, as it should. But slam dunk results? Guaranteed results? Presumptions? That's not what a fair system is about."- Defence lawyer Marie Henein on the Canadian justice system
Marie Henein has become a household name after representing former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi. He was acquitted of all five charges related to allegations from three women, in a sexual assault trial that garnered international attention.
Ghomeshi faces trial on an additional sexual assault charge in June 2016, a charge to which he has also pleaded not guilty.
Protests and rallies to support those who say they have experienced sexual assault were already planned before Jian Ghomeshi's acquittal. People took to the streets and to social media before, and immediately following, the judgment with signs and slogans that said the justice system had "failed women."
And inside the legal system, this high profile case has prompted debate about whether our laws and justice system need an update.
Guests in this segment:
- David Butt, criminal lawyer who often represents complainants in sexual assault cases. He represented one of the witnesses at the Jian Ghomeshi trial.
- Breese Davies, criminal lawyer and vice-president of the Criminal Lawyers Association.
- Peter Sankoff, professor of law at the University of Alberta.
This segment was produced by The Current's Pacinthe Mattar.