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SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 BY CASWLR Monday, September 18, 2023 — Today, the Ontario Superior Court released its decision in CASWLR v Attorney General (Canada), a case that sought to strike down harmful provisions of the Protection of Communities and Exploited People Act (PCEPA) on the grounds that they violate sex workers’ Charter rights. Sex workers across Canada are devastated to learn that … Read more

Updated on November 2 at 10:55 am. The HIV Legal Network condemns the October 25, 2023 arrests of the founders of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF). In the context of a nation-wide toxic drug crisis fueled by an unregulated drug market and bad drug policy, DULF has operated a compassion club and overdose prevention … Read more

The Jamaican Supreme Court determined last Friday that the so-called “saving laws clause” in the Jamaican constitution prevents it from inquiring into the constitutionality of the three sections of the Offences Against the Person Act that criminalize same-sex intimacy. This misguided decision denies Jamaicans the means to protect their constitutional and human rights, and further … Read more

Today — International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) — is not just a day of reflection but a call to action. It is a plea to governments, organizations, and individuals to come together and prioritize life, health, and dignity above prejudice and stigma as we push toward a world where people who use substances are met with … Read more

Introduction In January 2023, the Court of Appeal for Ontario released its decision in the case of R. v. J.A., concerning the appeal of a man who had been convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, ten counts of aggravated sexual assault, and one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault in relation to HIV non-disclosure. … Read more

To mark international “Support. Don’t Punish” day, 87 organizations sign open letter to Government of Canada OTTAWA, CANADA | In the context of the ongoing toxic drug crisis and heightened politicized rhetoric around drug policy in Canada, a group of concerned civil society organizations have sent an open letter to federal politicians today, advocating for … Read more

This statement can be attributed to HALCO, the HIV Legal Network, and COCQ-SIDA. June 21, 2023 – The HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO), HIV Legal Network, and La Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA), are deeply concerned about the continued application of the “Automatic Partner Notification Policy” (“the … Read more

This statement can be attributed to HALCO, the HIV Legal Network, and COCQ-SIDA. June 21, 2023 – The HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO), HIV Legal Network, and La Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA), are deeply concerned about the continued application of the “Automatic Partner Notification Policy” (“the … Read more

For more than eight years, Maurice Tomlinson and the HIV Legal Network have been in court fighting for rights that are denied to LGBTQ+ people living in Jamaica due to colonial-era laws that criminalize same-sex intimacy. Through this slow process, Maurice’s case has nonetheless been gaining momentum, and in recent years we have seen similar … Read more

In August 2022, the Court of Appeal for Ontario overturned a woman’s conviction for one count of aggravated sexual assault in relation to HIV non-disclosure in the case of R. v. J.M. The initial 2013 conviction stemmed from a single act of condomless vaginal sex that occurred in 2011, at a time when the appellant … Read more