Publication Language: English

Brief to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs regarding Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act

This brief compares the Criminal Code provisions proposed by Bill C-36 against the Criminal Code provisions struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Bedford. It explains how the new law, if enacted, will replicate the effects of the old law on the security of sex workers and, as such, reproduce the harms the Supreme Court of … Read more

Stay informed: The Legal Network’s new resources on criminalization of HIV non-disclosure

Blog by Cécile Kazatchkine, Senior Policy Analyst The overly broad criminalization of HIV is not a uniquely Canadian problem. In many countries around the world, a person living with HIV can be prosecuted, convicted and sent to prison for not disclosing their status, exposing someone to HIV or transmitting the virus. The situation in Canada is particularly infuriating at this juncture … Read more

Sex, criminal law and HIV non-disclosure (video)

This short, two-part video series addresses the urgent, pressing legal issue of criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in Canada, what is wrong with the current approach and why the Legal Network continues to work to change these laws and the way they are enforced. Watch them below, or on the Legal Network’s YouTube channel.

Criminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure in Canada (webinar)

A series of 23 short videos on the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in Canada, produced in July 2014 by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. Cécile Kazatchkine, Senior Policy Analyst at the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, answers questions for people living with HIV about disclosure and the criminal law in Canada. We recommend that you watch … Read more

Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper re: Canada’s response to the decision in Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford

“We are concerned about the direction your government is taking with respect to adult prostitution in Canada. Bill C-36, also known as the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, proposes a legal regime that criminalizes many aspects of adult prostitution, including the purchase of sexual services, the advertisement of sexual services, and most communication … Read more

Brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding its study of Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act

“We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the study of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act and to draw the Committee’s attention to certain elements which are particularly relevant from the perspective of health and human rights.”

Reckless Endangerment — Q&A on Bill C-36: Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act

In December 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously decided that several parts of Canada’s Criminal Code dealing with prostitution are unconstitutional because they violate the rights of sex workers by undermining their health and safety. The Supreme Court decided that its ruling would take effect in one year’s time, at which point those unconstitutional parts of … Read more