This is Section 2 of Responding to the Criminalization of HIV Transmission or Exposure: Resources for lawyers and advocates. Access the full kit at aidslaw.ca/lawyers-kit.

This section provides detailed descriptions of the applicable national laws on HIV transmission and/or exposure, key decisions from national courts (some also included below in section 3), as well as articles from the relevant legal literature and other useful materials. It focuses on three countries — namely Canada, France and Switzerland — however, resources for lawyers and advocates from other countries can be found at the end of this section

CANADA

N.B. 1: Resources published prior to October 2012 that describe the current state of the criminal law as it relates to HIV non-disclosure in Canada do not take into account the recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions in R. v. Mabior and R. v. D.C.

N.B. 2: Additional cases and a Canadian sentencing chart are available for defence lawyers, upon request. Please contact Cécile Kazatchkine at ckazatchkine [at] aidslaw.ca.

Summary of current law

• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Briefing paper: The criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in Canada: current status and the need for change, June 2019.
• Daniel Brown and Colleen McKeown, Daniel Brown Law LLP, An Update on HIV Non-Disclosure Prosecutions in Ontario, April 2019.

Key national cases

• R. v. Mabior, 2012 SCC 47 and R. v. D.C., 2012 SCC 48. (“realistic possibility of HIV transmission”)
  • Analysis

Post-Mabior 2012 decisions:

Court of Appeal decisions:

• R. v. N.G., 2020 ONCA 494 (condom use)
  • Summary
• R. v. Thompson, 2018 NSCA 13
  • Summary of R. v Thompson 2018 NSCA 13
• R. v. Schenkels, 2017 MBCA 62 (CanLII) (evidence of compl.’s HIV status; cross-examination)
• R. v. F., 2013 ONCA 415 (CanLII) (condom use; appellant’s name withheld by request)
• R. v. Mekonnen, 2013 ONCA 414 (unprotected sex; condom use; lack of evidence on viral load)

Trial decisions:

• R. v. V. (22 November 2019), Ottawa, Court File No. 0411-998-17-51-27 (O.C.J., Boxall J.)
• R. v. C.B., 2017 ONCJ 545 (CanLII) (acquittal, condomless sex with undetectable viral load).
• R. v. W [2016] O.J. No. 3253 [accused’s identity intentionally removed] (Guilty plea, false pretense; absolute discharge)
• R v. Thompson, 2016 NSSC 134 (condom use or low viral load or no ejaculation)
  • Summary
• R. v. J.T.C., 2013 NSPC 105 (Acquittal; unprotected sex with an undetectable viral load)
  • Summary
• R. v. J.T.C., 2013 NSPC 88 (Condom use; low viral load; critical analysis of R. v. Mabior)
• R. v. Murphy, 2013 CanLII 54139 (ON SC) (Acquittal on oral sex count)
• R. v. P. (19 June 2015) Toronto (ONCJ) [unreported — accused’s identity intentionally removed] (Evidence; Seaboyer application)
• R. v. J.H., 2012 ONCJ 708 (Evidence ; Seaboyer application, Herpes)
• Det S. Cullingworth, VPD v. B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, (26 March 2014) Vancouver (PC) [unreported] (Production order – Confidentiality of medical records)

Pre-Mabior 2012 decisions:

Supreme Court of Canada decisions:

• R. v. Cuerrier, [1998] 2 S.C.R. 371. (First SCC case on HIV non-disclosure)
  • Summary
• R. v. Williams, [2003] 2 S.C.R. 134. (The law of attempt)
  • Summary

Court of Appeal decisions:

• R. v. Mabior (C.L.), 2010 MBCA 93. (Acquittal; use of a condom or unprotected sex with an undetectable viral load)
  • Summary
• R. c. D.C., 2010 QCCA 2289. (Acquittal; unprotected sex with an undetectable viral load)
  • Judgment (unofficial English translation)
  • Summary
• R. v. Wright, 2009 BCCA 514. (Viral load when available is very relevant)
  • Summary

Trial decisions:

• R. v. Pottelberg, [2010] O.J. No. 5657 (Reasonable doubt whether complainant would have consented had he known)
• R. v. Boon, 2012 ONSC 441 (Evidence; Seaboyer application to introduce complainant’s previous sexual history – see contrary decision, R. v. G. A.C., 2013 ONSC 3232)
• R. v. J.A.T., 2010 BCSC 766; R. v. Nduwayo, 2010 BCSC 1277; R. v. J.U., 2011 ONCJ 457 (Unprotected sex does not necessarily represent a significant risk of HIV transmission — other relevant factors: position, number of acts, circumcision, ejaculation)
• R. v. Edwards, 2001 NSSC 80. (Oral sex; protected anal sex; community standards among gay men)
  • Summary
• R. v. Nduwayo, 2006 BCSC 1972 Summary; R. v. Nduwayo, 2010 BCSC 1277; R. v. Edwards, 2001 NSSC 80; R. c. D.C., 2008 QCCQ 629; R. v. Agnatuk-Mercier, [2001] O.J. 4729 (QL); R. v. Smith, [2007] S.J. 166 (QL); R. v. Imona-Russell, Unreported, Reasons for Judgment, 23 February 2009 (No legal duty to disclose when sex is protected)
• R. v. Aziga, (4 April 2009), Hamilton CR-08-1735 (Murder conviction)
  • Comment
• R. v. Bear, 2011 MBQB 191; R. v. Ratt, 2012 SKPC 154 (spitting cases)
• R. v. Jones, [2002] N.B.J. 375 (QL). (Acquittal – Hepatitis C)

Prosecutorial Guidelines

• Directive of the Attorney General (Canada)
• Ontario Crown Policy Manual D. 33 Sexual offenses against adults
• BC Crown Counsel Policy Manual

Articles

• I. Grant, “The Prosecution of Non-disclosure of HIV in Canada: Time to Rethink Cuerrier,” McGill Journal of Law and Health 5(1) (2011): 7–59.
• I. Grant, “The over-criminalization of persons with HIV,” University of Toronto Law Journal 63,3 (2013): 475–484.
• M. Shaffer, “Sex, Lies and HIV: Mabior and the Concept of Sexual Fraud,” University of Toronto Law Journal 63,3 (2013): 467–474.
• A. Symington, “Injustice amplified by HIV non-disclosure ruling,” University of Toronto Law Journal 63,3 (2013): 485–495.

Additional resources

• Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, The Criminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure in Canada, June 2019.
• Department of Justice Canada, Criminal Justice System’s Response to Non-Disclosure of HIV, 2017.
• Factum of the Interveners at the Supreme Court of Canada: R v. Mabior and R v. D.C., 2012.
• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, HIV non-disclosure and Canadian criminal law: condom use, briefing paper, 2011.
• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, HIV non-disclosure and Canadian criminal law: antiretroviral treatment and viral load, briefing paper, 2011.

FRANCE

Summary of current law

• AIDES, Introduction to French criminal law on HIV transmission, June 2010.
• Conseil national du sida et des hépatites virales [French National AIDS Council], Opinion followed by recommendations on the criminalisation of the sexual transmission of HIV in France, April 2015.

Key national cases

• Cass. Crim, 5 mars 2019, n° 18-82.704.
• Cass. Crim, 10 janvier 2006, n° 05-80787.
  • English-language summary
• Cass. Crim, 2 juillet 1998, n° 98-80529.
  • English-language summary
• CA Colmar, 4 janvier 2005.
• CA Rouen, 22 septembre 1999, n° de RG: 99-00018.
• Cour d’assises du Loiret, 3 décembre 2008, n° 50/2008.
• CA d’Orléans, 9 novembre 2007, n° de RG : 07/00291.

SWITZERLAND

Summary of current law

• Kurt Pärli with the cooperation of Peter Moesch, in collaboration with Aids-Hilfe Schweiz, Criminal justice handling of HIV/AIDS in Switzerland in the light of HIV/AIDS prevention concerns: status quo, reflection, conclusions, fact-sheet on the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Study, 2009.

Key national cases

• Raoul Gasquez, juriste, Groupe sida Genève, Swiss cases on HIV transmission, 2010.
• Cour de Cassation pénale, S. contre Procureur Général du canton de Vaud, 22 February 1990, 116 IV 125.
• Cour de Cassation, X c. Zurich Ministère public du canton, 27 October 2004, AFT 131 IV (6S. 176/2004) JDT 2006 IV.Note: Translation from German to French is published with the authorization of JDT.
• “S” v. Procureur Général, Arrêt, 23 February 2009 (Chambre pénale) (Genève). (PDF contains original French judgment, unofficial English translation, and translator’s affidavit.)

Articles

• R. Gasquez, « Pour la dépénalisation de l’exposition au VIH », Plaidoyer, April 2009. (Unofficial translation)
• Aide Suisse contre le Sida, Pénalisation de la transmission du VIH, prise de position, January 2001.
• A. Cereghetti, « Incrimination de la transmission du virus VIH », in Dominique Bertrand et al.(eds), Médecin et droit médical: présentation et résolution de situations médico-légales, 3rd revised and completed ed. (Chêne-Bourg, Genève: éd. Médecine & Hygiène, 2009).

OTHER JURISDICTIONS

Global

• HIV Justice Network
• GNP+ Global Criminalisation Scan

USA

• The Center for HIV Law and Policy, HIV Criminalization in the United States: A Sourcebook on State and Federal HIV Criminal Law and Practice, 2017.

United Kingdom

• Prosecutorial guidelines in England and Wales and in Scotland.

• The Association of Chief Police Officers and the National AIDS Trust, Investigation Guidance relating to the Criminal Transmission of HIV, 2010.
• National Aids Trust, HIV: A Guide for Polices: How to address HIV in police occupational health policies and blood-borne virus (BBV) training, June 2014 (revised edition).

Australia

• HIV/AIDS Legal Centre New South Wales (HALC), Criminal transmission of HIV: a guide for legal practitioners in NSW, May 2009.
• HIV/AIDS Legal Centre New South Wales (HALC), HIV/AIDS sentencing kit, 3rd ed., 2000.
• NAPWA Monograph, The criminalisation of HIV transmission in Australia: legality, morality and reality, 2009.

Africa

• R. Pearshouse, “Legislation contagion: building resistance,” HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review 13,2/3 (2008): pp.1–10.
• C. Kazatchkine, “Criminalizing HIV Transmission or Exposure: The Context of Francophone West and Central Africa,” HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review 14,3 (2010).
• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE, Regional HIV Criminalisation Report Francophone Africa, 2017. (Summary only.)