SCC Decision Every Sexual Abuse Lawyer Should Know About

Whether it is for negotiation, mediation, motion, pre-trial, trial or appeal purposes, there is one decision every plaintiff lawyer should have on hand: R. v. Friesen, 2020 SCC 9. Although it is a criminal case, this ground-breaking decision by the Supreme Court of Canada has had reverberations — and rightly so — in other areas of the law, including civil sexual abuse claims, family law disputes, child protection cases, and human rights complaints.

Shortly after R. v Friesen was released in 2020, I wrote a blog post in which I stated my belief that this decision’s importance extends far beyond the criminal sentencing context in which it arose — see Canada’s Highest Court Delivers Wake Up Call On Child Sexual Abuse. I wrote there, and have since made this argument in my files, that if one substitutes the word “damages” where the court talks about “sentences” or “sentencing,” the meaning remains as true and relevant to the civil sphere as the criminal one.

Four years later, I feel vindicated in my belief. I now see R. v. Friesen regularly cited in the reported civil abuse case law. It needs to stay this way. Mindsets still need to be changed, and there is no better ally for achieving this than our country’s highest court.

Before describing how civil courts are using R. v. Friesen, let me first summarize some highlights from this remarkable decision.

R. v. Friesen: Highlights

R. v. Friesen involved a young victim of sexual offences. The Supreme Court of Canada addressed the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse and the profound and widespread harms it causes, and it implored those involved in the justice system to treat this problem with more care and sensitivity.

The court opened its landmark 9-0 decision with these strong words: “Children are the future of our country and our communities. They are also some of the most vulnerable members of our society. They deserve to enjoy a childhood free of sexual violence.”

Through its decision, the court stated:

“[W]e send a strong message that sexual offences against children are violent crimes that wrongfully exploit children’s vulnerability and cause profound harm to children, families, and communities. Sentences for these crimes must increase. Courts must impose sentences that are proportional to the gravity of sexual offences against children and the degree of responsibility of the offender, as informed by Parliament’s sentencing initiatives and by society’s deepened understanding of the wrongfulness and harmfulness of sexual violence against children. Sentences must accurately reflect the wrongfulness of sexual violence against children and the far-reaching and ongoing harm it causes to children, families, and society at large.”

Here are some “takeaways” from R. v. Friesen that I, as a civil litigator practicing in this area for almost three decades, find instructive.

1. Prevalence of child sexual abuse:

The Supreme Court observed that police and the courts are seeing a mushrooming of cases involving sexual violence against children.

New technologies like the internet are enabling new forms of sexual violence against children, and providing perpetrators with new ways to access and control youth. These technologies are also making qualitative changes to these sexual offences; for example, the online distribution of images repeats the original violation by making its victim live with the knowledge that others may be accessing these images in the future.

2. Evolution of understanding:

Just as legislators have been recognizing, adapting, and trying to keep pace with developments in child sexual abuse, the Supreme Court observed that “[c]ourts too have been on a ‘learning curve’ to understand both the extent and the effects of sexual violence against children.” The law has had to and will continue to evolve to respond to its prevalence, and to the different manifestations of the wrong and harms it causes.

3. Characterization of the wrong as violence:

The wrongful nature of child sexual abuse stems from the fact it represents a simultaneous invasion of a child’s personal autonomy, a violation of the child’s bodily and sexual integrity, and an attack on the child’s dignity and equality.

“Violence is always inherent in the act of applying force of a sexual nature to a child,” the Supreme Court said. Whether or not there is additional physical violence and/or physical injuries that accompany such abuse, any physical contact of a sexual nature with a child is “a wrongful act of physical and psychological violence.”

4. Resulting individual and broader harms:

The attack on personal autonomy, bodily integrity, sexual integrity, dignity and equality that sexual abuse against a child represents means courts must consider the resulting psychological harm which will often be more pervasive and permanent than physical harm.

Sexual violence against children “inherently has the potential to cause several recognized forms of harm.” The Supreme Court noted that these are harms that manifest themselves:

1) During childhood, such as self-destructive behaviours, acting out, guilty feelings and shame, lack of trust, low self-esteem, inability to concentrate in school, running away from home, sleep disturbances and nightmares, anxiety, and depression; and

2) During the victim’s adult years, such as difficulty forming loving and caring relationships with others, being prone to engage in sexual violence against children themselves, and struggling with substance abuse, mental illness, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviours, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, anger, and poor self-esteem.

Beyond the life-altering consequences that flow to targeted individuals, sexual violence against children has ripple effects, including harm to people who are close to these children and harm to relationships. There is also harm to the broader communities in which the targeted children live, as well as to society as a whole. Noted the Supreme Court:

“Some of these costs can be quantified, such as the social problems that sexual violence against children causes, the costs of state intervention, and the economic impact of medical costs, lost productivity, and treatment for pain and suffering … [C]hildren who are victims of sexual violence may be more likely to engage in sexual violence against children themselves when they reach adulthood … Sexual violence against children can thus fuel a cycle of sexual violence that results in the proliferation and normalization of the violence in a given community.”

5. Considerations for sentencing and damages awards:

The Supreme Court directed that courts must impose sentences — and I would add, damages awards — that are commensurate with the gravity of sexual offences against children.

It is not sufficient for courts to simply state that sexual offences against children are serious….courts must recognize and give effect to (1) the inherent wrongfulness of these offences; (2) the potential harm to children that flows from these offences; and (3) the actual harm that children suffer as a result of these offences.

6. Myths and stereotypes:

R. v. Friesen debunks various myths and stereotypes and warns about not falling prey to common or outdated misconceptions.

Lower courts must reject the common belief that there was no serious harm caused if there was no additional physical violence that caused physical injury. Further, the tendency to downplay the wrongfulness of child sexual abuse or its harm to the victim where the acts did not involve penetration, fellatio or cunnilingus, but instead involved touching or masturbation, has to stop. The notion that the latter kinds of sexual touching are “relatively benign” and thus inherently less harmful is, the Supreme Court said, “a myth that must be rejected.” Why? Because it does not provide any meaningful insight into how the actions were experienced by the targeted child.

“[C]ourts have at times spoken of the degree of physical interference as a type of ladder of physical acts with touching and masturbation at the least wrongful end of the scale, fellatio and cunnilingus in the mid-range, and penile penetration at the most wrongful end of the scale… This is an error — there is no type of hierarchy of physical acts for the purposes of determining the degree of physical interference. As the Court of Appeal for Ontario recognized in R. v. Stuckless, 2019 ONCA 504, physical acts such as digital penetration and fellatio can be just as serious a violation of the victim’s bodily integrity as penile penetration… Similarly, it is an error to assume that an assault that involves touching is inherently less physically intrusive than an assault that involves fellatio, cunnilingus, or penetration. For instance, depending on the circumstances of the case, touching that is both extensive and intrusive can be equally or even more physically intrusive than an act of fellatio, cunnilingus, or penetration.”

7. The importance of language:

The Supreme Court reminds us that words matter, including those used by lawyers and courts when they deal with child sexual abuse. The use of terms like “fondling” or “caressing” must stop. This is because they implicitly characterize the perpetrator’s conduct as erotic or affectionate, instead of inherently violent. Language like this is misleading and risks normalizing the very conduct that is being scrutinized and condemned.

8. No consent:

A child victim’s “participation” in sexual activity is not de facto consent and should never be treated as a mitigating factor. The court’s clear directive that such participation is not a legally relevant consideration at sentencing should apply equally to damages in civil sexual abuse cases. The Supreme Court appropriately acknowledged that “Adolescence can be a confusing and challenging time for young people as they grow and mature, navigate friendships and peer groups, and discover their sexuality.” It warned that a victim’s participation should not distract from the harm suffered, and moreover that the absence of additional overt violence, such as weapons, intimidation, and physical injury, does not mean the inherent violence of the sexual abuse of the child should be ignored or downplayed.

Examples of Civil Courts Citing R. v. Friesen

As civil courts across Canada are increasingly required to address child sexual abuse, they are now routinely relying on R. v. Friesen as an authority. Consider the following examples:

1. C.O. v. Williamson, 2020 ONSC 3874 – trial decision; teacher/student sexual abuse; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraph 169 in support of awards for general and aggravated damages in childhood sexual abuse cases increasing over time “as society and the courts have become increasingly aware of the very serious, long-lasting damage caused by such abuse.”

2. C.L.H. v. K.A.G., 2022 BCSC 994 – trial decision; brother sexually abused sister when both were minors; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraphs 299-300 for the inherent potential for harm posed by child sexual abuse.

3. A.B. v. C.D., 2022 BCSC 2145 – application decision; child sexual abuse case involving cross applications for publication bans anonymizing both plaintiff and defendant so they would not be publicly identified; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraph 12 to assist in weighing the interests as stake.

4. C.M.A. v. Blais, 2022 BCSC 214 – default judgment with trial assessment of damages; child sexual abuse by adult family friend; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraph 77 for the inherent potential for harm posed by child sexual abuse.

5. A.B. v. Main, 2023 NSSC 47 – trial decision; child sexual abuse by adult neighbour; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraphs 58-59 for the care that must be taken not to over-emphasize the physical acts that did or did not occur (i.e., whether touching was over or under clothing, or whether it involved penetration). Although the Supreme Court’s comments dealt with criminal sentencing, the trial judge found them “also apt in the civil context.”

6. MacIntyre v. McNutt, 2024 NSSC 17 – unopposed trial decision; child sexual abuse by hockey coach/teacher; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraph 25 for the proposition that there is not necessarily a correlation between physical severity of sexual abuse and harm to the victim.

7. H.N. v. School District No. 61 (Greater Victoria), 2024 BCSC 128 – trial decision; child sexual abuse by an adult tutor; R. v. Friesen cited at paragraph 2 in reference to evidence establishing that the plaintiff suffered the types of harms in childhood and extending into adulthood often associated with child sexual abuse; also cited at paragraph 216 in the context of considering whether to award punitive damages, with reference to the prioritization of denunciation and deterrence of sexual offences against children.

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Young Age Does Not Excuse Liability of Perpetrators in Civil Lawsuits for Sexual Assault

Criminal law precludes children under the age of twelve from liability. The same is not true for civil claims. While young age is a factor in assessing liability for sexual assault, a perpetrator under twelve can still be held liable in a civil claim.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia decision in CLH v. KAG, 2022 BCSC 994 has confirmed there is no age limit under which children are automatically excused from civil liability for intentional torts, such as sexual assault. In contrast, under criminal law, children under twelve are absolved of liability. This B.C. decision explains that a child’s age may be a factor in determining civil liability as a child’s age may demonstrate they were incapable of forming the intent required to commit an intentional tort.

Civil liability of children tends to attach at a much earlier age than criminal responsibility. However, children have been excused from civil liability in instances where the courts held that the children were too young to have acted with intention. The defendant in the B.C. case was an adult at the time of trial, but was found to have sexually assaulted his sister when he was aged 10 to 16. His sister was aged 6 to 12 at the time. However, the defendant did not assert he was incapable of forming the necessary intent for the tort of sexual assault nor was this finding made by the trial judge.

From a damages perspective, the circumstances of the parties at the time of the abuse in question—which includes their respective ages—is a relevant consideration. The court in the B.C. case held that while the defendant’s young age was a relevant factor, it did not justify an award significantly below the range of damages awarded in other sexual assault cases. Instead, the consequences for the plaintiff of his wrongful behaviour were given primacy.

The court found the detrimental impact of the defendant’s sexual assaults on his sister was substantial, and it awarded non-pecuniary damages of $200,000. Of note, however, the court declined to award punitive damages because the defendant was a child at the time, and it found the denunciation and deterrence aim of punitive damages awards would not be achieved in the circumstance of a child perpetrator of sexual abuse.

While this issue has not been considered in Ontario in recent years, in 1967, the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the decision of the trial judge in Tillander v. Gosselin, 1966 CanLII 231 (ONSC) where the court declined to find a 3-year-old liable for physical assault. This was on the basis that a normal 3-year-old could not formulate the genuine intent to do harm or to perform the act that caused the injury.

The takeaway here is that youth at the time sexualized misconduct was committed does not, on its own, insulate that person from civil liability for significant damages. This is an important consideration for plaintiff and defence lawyers alike to keep in mind.

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Family And Intimate Partner Violence – ONCA Renders Landmark Decision In Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia

Authored by: Erika Tower, Zahra Vaid, and Elizabeth Grace

Last week, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (ONCA) released its highly anticipated decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2023 ONCA 476. In this blog, we consider the lessons learned from this much discussed and debated case, after summarizing both the trial and appellate decisions.

In short, the decision was an appeal from the judgment of Justice Renu J. Mandhane of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (ONSC), in a family law proceeding in which she created and applied the novel tort of family violence, and awarded the wife $150,000 for compensatory, aggravated and punitive damages. In our previous blog, we discussed the new tort and Justice Mandhane’s decision at length.

Writing for a unanimous 3-member panel of the ONCA, Justice Mary Lou Benotto determined that the creation of the novel tort of family violence was unnecessary in light of existing torts which adequately address the harms suffered. Although the new tort was not recognized, the decision provided an important opportunity for the ONCA to comment on the complexity of the various forms of violence and abuse that occur in intimate relationships and how they can be addressed by courts in the context of family law proceedings. The decision clearly states that such violence and abuse should be recognized, denounced and deterred, and confirms the jurisdiction of family court judges to render judgments on tortious misconduct in the course of their proceedings.

Background and Lower Court Decision

In this case, the appellant husband and respondent wife were married in 1999 in India. Shortly after their marriage, the couple immigrated to Canada for better opportunities. They arrived in 2002 with their first child and, like many newly immigrated families, had little social and financial support.

The marriage involved significant and serious emotional, financial and physical abuse of the mother at the hands of the appellant father, which led to the couple’s separation in 2016.

The respondent mother subsequently brought an action for statutory relief including divorce, child support, spousal support, and property equalization. She also claimed damages for the husband’s abusive, coercive and controlling conduct during their marriage.[1]

In assessing damages, Justice Mandhane explained that the “no fault” nature of family law must give way where there are serious allegations of family violence that create “independent, and actionable harms that cannot be compensated through an award of spousal support”.[2] She therefore went on to recognize a new tort of family violence. In her view, this was necessary to stay “abreast of social change” and was also consistent with the compensatory goal of tort law.[3]

In characterizing the tort, Justice Mandhane held that a plaintiff could establish, through specific and particularized conduct, a defendant’s liability for the tort in the following ways:

• intentional conduct that was violent or threatening;

• behaviour calculated to be coercive and controlling to the plaintiff; or

• conduct the defendant would have known with substantial certainty would cause the plaintiff to subjectively fear for their own safety or that of another person.[4]

To establish liability, Justice Mandhane stressed there needed to be a “pattern of conduct that included more than one incident of physical abuse, forcible confinement, sexual abuse, threats, harassment, stalking, failure to provide the necessities of life, psychological abuse, financial abuse, or killing or harming an animal of property”.[5]

In her view, the tort was necessary as existing torts, like assault and battery, did not “fully capture the cumulative harm associated with the pattern of coercion and control that lays at the heart of family violence”.[6]

After finding liability under the tort of family violence, Justice Mandhane assessed damages at $150,000: $50,000 each for compensatory, aggravated and punitive damages. She then considered the statutory claims and determined that the appellant mother was entitled to the entire proceedings of sale from the matrimonial home.[7]

Ontario Court of Appeal

The appellant husband appealed and asked that the ONCA reject the creation of a new tort. While he conceded some liability, his concession was related to liability for existing torts that Justice Mandhane found in the alternative (i.e., torts of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress). He argued that the tort of family violence was “poorly constructed, too easy to prove, and would apply to a vast number of cases and create a floodgate of litigation that would fundamentally change family law”.[8]

The appellant wife argued in response that a novel tort was necessary as existing torts “did not address the cumulative pattern of harm caused by family violence”.[9] However, she proposed a narrower tort of “coercive control”, which would be made out where a person, in the context of an intimate relationship inflicted a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour that cumulatively was reasonably calculated to induce compliance, create conditions of fear and helplessness, or otherwise cause harm.[10]

The ONCA without question recognized the significance of intimate partner violence, citing the statistic that nearly half of women and one third of men in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence, and it acknowledged the widespread and intergenerational effects of this kind of abuse. However, the issue before it was whether a new tort of family violence was required to address the problem, or existing alternative remedies were sufficient. The short answer was: “existing torts are flexible enough to address the fact that abuse has many forms” and, therefore, the creation of a new tort of family violence is not necessary.

The creation of a new tort of coercive control was also rejected, and the ONCA took particular issue with the submission that the tort as proposed would not require proof of actual harm, but rather must only involve conduct calculated to cause harm.

According to the ONCA, the torts of battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress are able to recognize the patterns of behaviour that constitute intimate partner violence, for the purposes of both liability and damages. It also noted with approval that a “pattern” of abuse has previously been used to justify higher damages awards through these existing torts. The ONCA provided a lengthy and helpful discussion of how each of these torts sufficiently addresses such patterns of abuse.

Importantly, the ONCA concluded that it was not a mistake that the trial judge included a tort claim in a family law proceeding, and the compensatory damages awarded were appropriate. However, the ONCA allowed the appeal of the punitive damages award of $50,000, as the trial judge failed to make any finding that an award of general and aggravated damages was insufficient to achieve the goals of denunciation and deterrence. The wife’s damages were therefore decreased on appeal to $100,000, from $150,000.

Comment and Discussion

A Message to the Family Law Bar

Although the ONCA rejected the creation of a new tort of family violence, one of the key takeaways from its decision is its explicit confirmation that tort claims can properly be included in family law proceedings, and significant damages can be awarded.[11]

This acknowledgment is crucial, as many survivors of intimate partner violence only consider civil remedies after the conclusion of their family law claim. This can be inefficient and costly, and judgments more difficult to satisfy after assets have been divided and distributed. Having family law and civil law issues dealt with together avoids duplication of effort and resources, and streamlines the process and outcome.

There are other advantages to addressing tort claims within the family courts. For example, there is a more detailed and fulsome disclosure of assets and income in family law proceedings that is not generally available in a civil proceeding. Given the increasingly resolution-based nature of the family law system, litigants are often focused on reaching a final resolution, to achieve certainty and finality, and allow them to move forward with their respective lives.

The acknowledgment and discussion provided by the ONCA of the pervasiveness and seriousness of the various forms of violence and abuse that occur in intimate relationships is also extremely valuable and can be cited and relied upon in future proceedings involving intimate partner abuse. For example, it is recognized that recurring and ongoing abuse, intimidation, domination and financial abuse can become patterned into daily life, and trial judges need to be alive to these dynamics. It is also clearly stated that where any form of abuse leads to psychological injury, compensation is warranted.

A New Benchmark for Damages

In upholding the compensatory and aggravated damages of $100,000 awarded by the trial judge, the ONCA created a new benchmark for damages in cases involving intimate partner violence. It specifically recognized that the trial judge’s damages assessment was based on the depression and anxiety experienced by the respondent wife as a result of the abuse, the “overall pattern of coercion and control and clear breach of trust”, as well as the ways the appellant husband preyed upon the wife’s vulnerability as a new, racialized immigrant to Canada, which made it difficult for her to meet their children’s daily needs.[12] The ONCA justified the high award in light of society’s “emerging understanding of the evils of intimate partner violence and its harms”.[13]

While it remains to be seen whether leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada will be sought, and if so, granted (we think it unlikely), Ahluwalia has generated significant and valuable discussion among the family and civil bars and the judiciary about the intersection of civil and family law proceedings in the context of allegations of intimate partner violence.

A clear message has emerged: intimate partner violence is serious, and it will no longer be rare or exceptional for claims for damages arising out of such allegations to be included in family court proceedings.

[1] Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2023 ONCA 476 at para. 16

[2] Ibid at para. 17.

[3] Ibid at para. 19-20.

[4] Ibid at para. 23.

[5] Ibid at para. 24.

[6] Ibid at para. 23.

[7] Ibid at paras. 26-28.

[8] Ibid, at para. 29.

[9] Ibid, at para 33.

[10] Ibid, at para 34.

[11] Ibid, at para. 46.

[12] Ibid, at para 127.

[13] Ibid, at para. 128.

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Elizabeth Grace Mentioned In CBC News Article

WARNING: This article contains details of abuse

“They’re the ones who have the ability to make systemic changes, which is what most survivors want most of all.”

In a follow-up to our recent post about CBC’s investigative podcast “The Banned Teacher,” Elizabeth Grace has been mentioned in a new article by CBC News regarding lawsuits dealing with sexual abuse of students by teachers. Survivors of this abuse ultimately decided to file lawsuits when they were failed by police and the criminal courts, and Elizabeth talks about how she helps others in their pursuit for justice in the civil courts. Read the article here.

Elizabeth Grace and her team specialize in guiding survivors through the legal process with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and they work to fearlessly pursue the vindication, accountability, and closure survivors deserve.

If you, or someone close to you, has been sexually assaulted or abused, and would like to know about available legal options, please call us or email us for a free, completely confidential preliminary consultation.

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CBC Podcast Features Former Client

“The Banned Teacher” is a new podcast exposing a predator who preyed on female high school students for more than three decades, who was protected by our education system. Hosted by CBC reporter Julie Ireton, this 10- part series follows our former client Anne-Marie Robinson’s pursuit of justice, leading to an investigation that uncovered 15 other survivors of abuse by the same teacher, and raised important questions about the protection of young women in our society.

At Lerners, we have worked with many survivors of abuse committed by those in positions of power, and we have deep respect for their strength and courage. We are always moved when such a survivor decides that they are ready to share their story, inspire others to do the same, and advocate for change as Anne-Marie has done and continues to do. We admire Anne-Marie for her insight, selflessness and bravery, and we encourage everyone to listen.

The podcast can be accessed here: The Banned Teacher.

WARNING: This series contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault and abuse which may be triggering. Listener discretion is advised.

Elizabeth Grace and her team specialize in guiding survivors through the legal process with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and they work to fearlessly pursue the vindication, accountability, and closure survivors deserve.

If you, or someone close to you, has been sexually assaulted or abused, and would like to know about available legal options, please call us or email us for a free, completely confidential preliminary consultation.

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Our Response To A Recent Statement Issued To Parents By The CDSBEO

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) recently issued a statement to parents. The statement relates to an historic incident of sexual abuse involving a student, by a former occasional teacher named Edward (Ted) Michael Oliver who was employed by the board at St John Catholic High School in Perth Ontario, in 2006.

Our sexual abuse team is currently representing a survivor in a claim against this teacher based on abuse that occurred when our client was a student at St John Catholic School in Perth.

We are also representing other survivors of historic sexual abuse who were former students of St John Catholic High School in Perth. This includes a survivor of sexual abuse by history teacher Jeffrey (Jeff) L. Peters, who was criminally convicted for his misconduct against her.

Recently, the media reported on a third teacher, David Alexander Giroux, also from St John Catholic High School in Perth, who has been charged with sexual offences involving a minor.

If you, or someone close to you, has been sexually assaulted or abused, and would like to know about available legal options, please call us or email us for a free, completely confidential consultation.

We specialize in guiding survivors through the legal process with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and work to fearlessly pursue the vindication, accountability, and closure survivors deserve.

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Lerners understands you need someone to believe in you. Our consultations are free. Call today and let us help you and your family.

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Criminal Conviction Advantageous For Subsequent Civil Lawsuit: Latest On Summary Judgment In Sexual Assault Cases

In sexual abuse and violence cases that are pursued in the civil courts, it is common for there to have been a prior criminal proceeding involving the same parties and factual issues. Many survivors are unaware that the civil justice system provides an alternative, or an additional, means of recourse and accountability. As a result, they often go directly to the police, thinking the criminal justice system is the only option available to them. Other survivors make a deliberate choice to report first to the police and then go through a criminal proceeding before becoming plaintiffs and pursuing a civil remedy.

In a previous blogpost, a posted article, and a video, I explained key differences between criminal and civil proceedings based on sexual assault allegations and how the two systems of justice – criminal and civil – interact. Here, my focus is on how a criminal conviction can narrow the liability issues that need to be proven in a later civil lawsuit dealing with similar matters.

The recent decision, Lambert et al. v. Lambert, 2022 ONSC 6432, by Regional Senior Justice Mark Edwards serves as a timely reminder that a conviction can dispense with the need to prove an individual defendant’s liability (or legal responsibility) in a civil lawsuit.

In Lambert v. Lambert, the defendant pled guilty to three counts of indecent assault against three family members. Afterward, two of these family members (daughters of the defendant) sued their father by bringing a civil claim. Despite his guilty plea in the criminal proceeding, the father, in his civil Statement of Defence, put forward a complete denial of any wrongdoing.

The plaintiff daughters went to court seeking partial summary judgment on their father’s civil liability. They wanted their father’s legal responsibility for abusing them determined summarily on the basis of his prior conviction, so only the issues of damages and what caused their damages would be left to be determined at trial. The Ontario Court of Appeal in Butera v. Chown Cairns LLP, 2017 ONCA 783 has said partial (as opposed to full) summary judgment will only be granted in rare cases. In Lambert v. Lambert, Edwards RSJ granted the plaintiffs’ motion, while acknowledging that partial summary judgment is reserved only for the “clearest” of cases. The judge found the case before him was one of those clear cases.

In explaining his decision to grant partial summary judgment, Edwards RSJ said, “Plaintiffs who are victims of sexual assault should know at the earliest opportunity that the issue of liability is a non-issue… It is equally important that the defendant understand now, and not later, that liability is no longer an issue.” In granting the motion, the judge said it would be “a rare case where partial summary judgment would not be granted” in circumstances like the ones before him.

Of course, as confirmed by Edwards RSJ, even after liability stops being an issue for resolution because summary judgment on liability has been granted, the plaintiffs must still prove their damages and what caused these. Likewise, if there are other defendants besides the individual defendant who has been criminally convicted, the liability of those defendants will remain to be determined.

It should be noted that Lambert v. Lambert involved a conviction arising from a guilty plea. In law, a guilty plea is an admission of wrongdoing by the accused person. Previously, the Ontario Court of Appeal in Franco v. White 2001 CanLII 24020 upheld a decision to grant partial summary judgment on liability in a sexual assault case in which the accused had entered a plea of “not guilty” and then faced a trial on the merits that resulted in a verdict of “guilty” by the jury.

Here are some “takeaways” from Franco v. White and Lambert v. Lambert, as well as my own years of experience litigating these kinds of cases, that are aimed at helping the reader navigate whether to bring or resist a motion for partial summary judgment on liability in a civil sexual abuse case that follows a conviction (that has not been successfully appealed) in a criminal case involving overlapping parties and issues:

1) Section 22.1 of the Ontario Evidence Act provides that proof of a person’s conviction is proof in another subsequent proceeding that the criminal offence was, in fact, committed by that person unless there is evidence to the contrary. In short, the Evidence Act creates a statutory presumption of wrongdoing in the face of a conviction. This has also been described as giving rise to prima facie proof (to be distinguished from conclusive proof) of the fact of guilt in a later civil proceeding. Other jurisdictions in Canada have similar provisions in their respective Evidence Acts.

2) Proof of a person’s prior conviction is proof not only of the guilty finding, but also of the “essential facts” underlying the criminal offence for which the person was found guilty – i.e., that the person committed certain unlawful acts with the state of mind (or intent) necessary to result in criminal guilt for the particular offence.

3) As a result, convicted defendants cannot re-litigate the essential facts underlying the criminal offence. This means they cannot lead evidence to contradict the key facts behind their convictions.

4) However, the statutory presumption of wrongdoing created by the Ontario Evidence Act (and other Evidence Acts across Canada) can, in certain circumstances, be rebutted (or countered). As the Ontario Court of Appeal in Franco v. White said, “Summary judgment does not follow automatically upon a criminal conviction if the defendant can show that despite the conviction, there is an issue to be tried.” The courts have accepted that defendants may rebut the presumption of wrongdoing to which a conviction gives rise. To do so, they will need to adduce compelling evidence that, in the context of a summary judgment motion, gives rise to a triable issue or, if at trial, is sufficient to discharge the defendant’s rebuttal onus of proof. Examples of where the effect of a conviction may be successfully rebutted are where the conviction was vague, and there was not sufficient similarity between the facts giving rise to the civil claim and those underlying the conviction, or where a defendant lacked adequate incentive to fully defend a minor criminal charge, and it would be unfair to hold the defendant to that result when facing more serious consequences from a civil action. The case law suggests it will be rare for a court to look behind a criminal conviction and find it cannot be relied upon in a subsequent civil proceeding. Certainly, a previously convicted defendant cannot simply repeat their plea of not guilty and assert a blanket denial of the allegations, and expect this to be sufficient to rebut the presumption of guilt. More than this is required.

5) The documents from the criminal proceeding that civil lawyers on both sides need to collect and rely upon to prove (or rebut) the presumption of wrongdoing in the civil proceeding include:

(a) A certificate of conviction (see s. 22.1(3) of Ontario’s Evidence Act, which addresses how to prove a conviction);

(b) In the case of a guilty plea, the transcript of the criminal proceeding that includes the agreed statement of facts, the judge’s reasons for guilty verdict, and the judge’s reasons for sentence; and

(c) In the case of a contested trial on the merits, the transcript of the criminal proceeding that includes the judge’s jury charge and the jury’s verdict (where it was trial by jury), and in a trial by judge alone, the judge’s reasons for conviction, and the judge’s reasons for sentence. (See s. 5 of Ontario’s Evidence Act which addresses admissibility of transcripts and s. 36(1) for when judicial notice can be taken of a judicial document like a judge’s reasons, order, and judgment.)

6) For plaintiffs and their lawyers, there is good legal authority for shortening the civil litigation process by, in effect, taking a big (and often difficult) piece of what has to be proven – namely, the factual allegations of the assault(s) that underpin civil liability – out of the equation. This potentially means a more streamlined litigation process, including a narrower scope for documentary and oral discovery of the plaintiff and a shorter and less distressing process for the plaintiff, who will not be called upon to repeat and re-live the details of what happened through oral examination for discovery, a defence medical examination, and/or at trial through their testimony.

7) However, there are many practical considerations that plaintiffs and their lawyers will need to bear in mind when deciding whether to move for partial summary judgment on liability. These include:

(a)Whether this means they must confine the causes of action pleaded in their Statement of Claim to those that most closely resemble the elements of the criminal offence for which the defendant was convicted, or abandon certain causes of action that introduce new elements that will have to be separately proven to establish liability. In Franco v. White, for example, the plaintiff on the summary judgment motion made a strategic decision to abandon her claims for breach of trust, negligence, and intentional infliction of mental suffering asserted in her Statement of Claim and to limit her claim to one for civil sexual assault. In some cases, restricting the claim made to what aligns most closely with the criminal offence on which the conviction was based will not capture the full extent of the wrongdoing and its impacts;

(b) Whether removing liability from the equation might unduly narrow the defendant’s documentary and oral discovery obligations

(c) Whether the conviction is based on facts that do not cover the full range of factual allegations in terms of types and nature of occurrences and potentially aggravating factors, like threats, violence, breach of trust, and being made to submit to particularly degrading or humiliating acts. If so, there will be good reason not to pursue partial summary judgment, so the full scope of the wrongdoing is before the court when it assesses damages;

(d) Remember that a plea of “guilty” is often based on an agreed statement of facts, which reflects a compromise between the Crown and the accused person. Such a statement will need to be reviewed carefully to determine what was omitted, and how any omissions may detract from the plaintiff’s civil claims for liability and damages;

(e) Whether, in order to prove compensatory damages in the civil proceeding, evidence with respect to the facts of what happened are necessary and helpful to the plaintiff’s case;

(f) Whether, in order to overcome the impediments to punitive damages where there has been a prior conviction (see T. v. D.T., 2021 ONSC 5926 for the guiding principles in this regard), it is necessary to adduce evidence as to what exactly occurred and how, for example, this extended beyond the facts supporting the criminal conviction; and

(g) Whether defence counsel will voluntarily agree to limit discovery of the plaintiff to the issues of damages and their causes. If the Statement of Defence contains a complete denial of wrongdoing despite the prior conviction, determine whether it is worth trying to reach an agreement with the defence lawyer(s) that they will not question the plaintiff on what happened, and will agree to limit their examination to what impacts the assaults (and other events) had on the plaintiff.

For convicted defendants and their lawyers, the following should be considered from the outset:

(a) Whether a blanket (or complete) denial of liability in a Statement of Defence, response to a motion for summary judgment on liability, and/or Request to Admit is advisable, bearing in mind that doing so could give rise to additional damages being awarded against the defendant for their refusal to accept the guilty verdict and their lack remorse and/or an unfavourable cost award for prolonging the litigation;

(b) If the allegations in the civil lawsuit extend beyond the essential facts on which the criminal conviction was based, then consider asserting a partial denial of liability in which only the allegations of fact that extend beyond those that were foundational to the conviction are disputed;

(c) If evidence to rebut the statutory presumption of wrongdoing that arises from a conviction is available, be sure to plead the relevant facts in the Statement of Defence and to adduce this evidence in response to a motion for partial summary judgment on liability and/or to lead it at trial; and

(d) If the presumption of wrongdoing from the conviction is unassailable, then look for ways to shorten the litigation and its associated expense by conducting an examination for discovery of the plaintiff that is focused on damages (and telling the plaintiff’s lawyer in advance that this is the intent), and looking for early opportunities to settle the action.

Unlike a prior acquittal which is not relevant nor admissible in a civil case (see, for example, Polgrain Estate v. Toronto East General Hospital, 2008 ONCA 427), a prior conviction has many implications for a later civil lawsuit involving the same parties and essential facts. The potential for summary judgment on liability is just one of these implications. Our courts have made it clear that a criminal conviction can be advantageous for plaintiffs in a later civil action, as it may dispense with the need to prove liability against convicted defendants. The decision to proceed with a motion for partial summary judgment and what position to take in response to such a motion are matters deserving careful and strategic consideration by the parties to a civil lawsuit and their lawyers.

While a prior conviction is by no means a prerequisite to pursuing a civil remedy for sexual abuse and violence, where a conviction does exist, whether based on a guilty plea or a trial verdict of guilty, it will usually allow plaintiff survivors to move through the civil process towards resolution and some closure, more efficiently and confidently. For defendants – both those who have been previously convicted and others who may share legal responsibility for the wrongdoing – a prior criminal conviction can offer opportunities for a more streamlined and cost-effective resolution of a civil matter.

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CCLISAR’s Submission On Bill 26 To The Standing Committee

On November 22nd, written and oral submissions were made to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Ontario’s Bill 26, which addresses the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (“NDAs”) related to sexual abuse in the context of post-secondary education.

As a member of the Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response (“CCLISAR”)’s advisory committee, Elizabeth Grace, a recognized expert in the area of civil liability for sexual abuse, was a signatory of the following submission. CCLISAR’s submission addressed Bill 26’s provisions which aim to legislatively restrict NDAs where students have been sexually abused.

CCLISAR is an independent, charitable organization that works to aid survivors of sexualized violence by researching the barriers and perceived barriers to reporting sexual assault and adjudicating claims of sexualized violence. Through this research, the organization hopes to better understand how the experiences of survivors of sexual assault are affected by Canada’s laws and policies.

CCLISAR’s submission on Bill 26 to the Standing Committee praises this first step to limit the use of NDAs in Ontario, and makes recommendations for additions to the Bill to improve access to justice for survivors of sexual abuse and enhance accountability where this abuse is determined to have occurred.

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Attention:

Vanessa Kattar, Committee Clerk

Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton, Committee Chair

France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt, Committee Vice-Chair

Dear Chair Ghamari, Vice-Chair Gélinas and Committee Members,

RE: Submissions on Bill 26, Strengthening Post-Secondary Institutions and Students Act, 2022

We write with submissions on Bill 26 and, in particular, on proposed sub-section 16.1(5) of Schedule 1 and sub-section 32.0.1(5) of Schedule 2, both of which aim to legislatively restrict non-disclosure agreements (“NDAs”). Overall, we commend this first step to limit, by statute, the use of NDAs in Ontario.

The Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response

The Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response (“CCLISAR”) is a charitable and non-partisan organization that seeks to better understand the gap between Canada’s laws and policies and its effects on the social problem of sexual harm and the experiences of survivors of sexualized violence. This includes research into the barriers and perceived barriers to reporting sexual assault and effective mechanisms and design frameworks for adjudicating claims of sexualized violence. CCLISAR as an organization has engaged in research and education with respect to NDAs, which has included assessing problems associated with their use in Canada, the legislative efforts to date in this country and elsewhere in the world to restrict them, and the risks and benefits of prohibiting NDAs. A year ago, prompted by Prince Edward Island’s then emerging legislation on NDAs, CCLISAR convened a cross-country panel of legal experts to consider the nature and scope of NDAs in Canada and how to craft solutions to the problems posed by NDAs. For the Committee’s review and consideration: CCLISAR’s recent Position Statement on Legislation Prohibiting Non-Disclosure Agreements is available online.

Joanna Birenbaum is CCLISAR’s Director of Capacity Building and Elizabeth Grace is a member of CCLISAR’s Advisory Committee. We are also both legal practitioners in Ontario with many decades of collective experience in the areas of civil litigation and administrative/regulatory processes and remedies for sexual abuse and violence, which include investigations into sexualized misconduct allegations in contexts like the post-secondary educational sphere. Joanna (called to the Ontario bar in 1998) is a litigator with expertise in multiple areas of law related to sexualized violence, including representing survivors in civil sexual assault claims, anti-slapp applications, and sexual history and records application in criminal proceedings. She prosecutes sexual abuse discipline hearings for a regulated health college and has been the chair of three CCLISAR Independent Review Panels of University sexual violence policies and practices (the reports from these reviews are available here). She is also the co-author of the recent book, Achieving Fairness: A Guide to Campus Sexual Violence Complaints (2020). Elizabeth (called to the Ontario bar in 1995) is a partner of the law firm Lerners LLP, an experienced civil litigator in the sexual abuse field on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, and an author and co-author of multiple publications in the abuse area, including the seminal book Civil Liability for Sexual Assault and Violence in Canada (2000). In May 2015, she participated in making written and oral submissions for law reform to Ontario’s Select Committee on Sexual Violence and Harassment.

Scope of submission

This submission addresses only the NDA-related proposed amendments to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, 1990 (Schedule 1) and the Private Career College Act, 2005 (Schedule 2) regarding sexual abuse at post-secondary educational institutions, as outlined in Bill 26.

Generally, we welcome legislative amendments that enhance protections for post-secondary students who are subject to sexual abuse by employees of post-secondary institutions and we support the NDA-related aspects of Bill 26. We are also heartened to see that Ontario is taking a first step to prohibit NDAs, since these are often used as a tool to silence survivors of sexualized violence and to prevent accountability by institutions and (alleged) abusers. The fact Ontario has chosen to start by introducing legislative reform in the post-secondary context, where there is a pronounced power-imbalance between students and employees like professors and instructors, is a positive development. We trust this important initiative will be followed by consultation with stakeholders and, ultimately, further legislated restrictions on NDAs in other contexts. Consistent with CCLISAR’s attached Position Statement, we support a nuanced approach to NDA prohibitions. We believe parts of Bill 26 should be revised to improve access to justice for post­secondary student survivors of sexual abuse and to promote institutional and (alleged) abuser accountability, and in this connection make the following observations and recommendations.

1. The word “investigator” is missing and should be added.

The proposed amendments at sub-s. 16.1(5) in Schedule 1 amending the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, 1990 and at sub-s. 32.0.1(5) in Schedule 2 amending the Private Career College Act, 2005 provide that agreements between an institution and “any person” shall not contain any term that prohibits the institution from:

“disclosing the fact that a court, arbitrator or other adjudicator has determined that an employee of the institution has committed an act of sexual abuse of a student of the institution…” [emphasis added].

This provision does not explicitly include an internal or external investigator and the determinations resulting from their investigation. Presumably an “adjudicator” would include an adjudicative body like the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, but it is unclear whether it would extend to an investigator who is tasked with assessing credibility, applying legal principles, and making findings. The term “adjudicator” is not defined either in the proposed amendments or in the legislation being amended. This leaves ambiguity as to whether an “investigator” under a post-secondary institution or private career college sexual violence policy will be captured by this language.

This apparent oversight is of concern given that a large number of sexual abuse complaints arising in post-secondary educational contexts are resolved by way of internal and/or external investigations, often followed by settlement agreements between the institution, the (alleged) abuser and/or the complainant. These investigatory and resolution processes often do not escalate to the level of involving courts, grievance or other forms of arbitration, or formal adjudications by administrative tribunals. Without the explicit inclusion of “investigators” in the proposed amendments, survivors may be left without the protections the legislation seeks to introduce, sexual abuse that has been determined to have occurred may continue to be concealed through the tool of NDAs, and institutions and abusers may not be held accountable.

Recommendation: We therefore recommend that sub-s. 16.1(5) in Schedule 1 and sub-s. 32.0.1(5) in Schedule 2 be revised to include explicit reference to “investigator”.

2. Provisions preventing disclosure of the student-survivor’s identity and accounting for the student-survivor’s NDA preference should be added.

Bill 26 marks a first step in Ontario to addressing NDAs in the context of sexual abuse. This follows other legislation passed in Prince Edward Island and introduced in Nova Scotia and Manitoba that prohibits settlements that silence survivors from speaking about their experiences related to sexualized violence. Bill 26 instead prohibits institutions from insisting on, or agreeing to, confidentiality as a term of settlement. This is a good and valid approach that we support. However, we recommend revisions to expand the proposed language, as follows.

First, Schedules 1 and 2 should include explicit language stating that institutions and persons related to the institution, including the individual employee found to have committed sexual abuse, must not disclose the student’s name or identifying information, except with the student’s express and informed permission.

Second, the proposed legislation applies to “[a]n agreement between an institution and any person”, including the student-survivor. This would mean that where a survivor declares an intention to bring, or brings, a claim against an institution following a finding of sexual abuse by an investigator or other adjudicator, the institution may not commit to keeping the fact of this finding and the identity of the perpetrator confidential. However in narrow and defined circumstances, a survivor-complainant should be allowed to have their preference for a NDA respected. In this connection, we note other jurisdictions in Canada with actual or proposed legislation restricting NDAs have provisions that carve out exceptions to NDA prohibitions, where it is the express wish and preference of the survivor-complainant and not contrary to the public interest. This exception is missing from Bill 26. A blanket prohibition of the kind found in Bill 26 does not consider the varying circumstances and needs of survivors. There are numerous reasons why a survivor of sexual abuse may wish to enter into an NDA, including but not limited to reputational, safety, reprisal and professional concerns.

Third, given that sexualized violence is fundamentally about the abuse of power, it is essential that where a determination of sexual abuse is made following a complaint by a student, the student-complainant not have more power taken from them. They should have a say and be given a reasonable opportunity to obtain independent legal advice (ILA) via Ontario’s existing and government-funded ILA program for sexual abuse or other means. In this way, they can make an informed decision without risk of undue influence or coercion about their position regarding disclosure of their own identity and the potential advantages and disadvantages of a NDA in their particular situation.

Recommendation: We therefore recommend that language be added to Schedules 1 and 2 to prohibit the institution and any person related to the institution, including the individual employee found to have committed sexual abuse, from disclosing the student-survivor’s name or identifying information, except with the student’s express permission. We also request the addition of an exception that allows for NDAs in circumstances where it is the express wish and preference of a complainant-survivor whose allegations of sexual abuse have been determined to have merit by an adjudicator or investigator. Lastly, we favour explicit reference in the legislation to (i) a survivor’s right to obtain independent legal advice should they wish their identity to be disclosed or want a NDA, and (ii) a requirement that institutions advise survivors of this right and of the availability of government-funded ILA to assist them in their decision-making. While we do not endorse specific language of any particular or proposed legislation in Canada, we emphasize the importance of an approach that promotes greater access to justice for survivors of sexualized violence and greater accountability by those who have been determined to have committed sexual abuse and, where applicable, the institutions which have employed or otherwise facilitated the commission of the abuse.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not comment on the narrow scope of Bill 26. NDAs should be regulated beyond the post-secondary educational sphere. We strongly encourage the Government of Ontario to introduce legislation, after consultation with stakeholders including legal practitioners and organizations that work with sexual assault survivors, that restricts the use of NDAs in respect of claims of sexualized violence in all contexts (for example, in institutional settings beyond the post-secondary education sphere).

Thank you for this opportunity to have input into Bill 26.

The Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response

Per:

Joanna Birenbaum, Director of Capacity Building

Per:

Elizabeth Grace, Advisory Committee member

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CBC Features Former Client

We have many clients who have survived abuse at the hands of those who are in positions of power over them. We always admire the strength and resilience of our clients, and stand in awe when such a survivor feels strong enough, and safe enough to tell their story in their own words, as Anne-Marie Robinson has here: in this article and in this episode of The Current.

While Anne-Marie Robinson’s efforts to have Douglas Walker held accountable through the criminal justice system failed (as often happens), her civil suit, where she named both Douglas Walker and the Toronto District School Board as defendants, was successful. It was settled by the Toronto District School Board in August 2020.

The criminal system is focused narrowly on the accused person and whether a crime was committed, and, if a crime is proven beyond a reasonable doubt, on what constitutes appropriate punishment.

The civil justice system is different. A lower standard of proof than “beyond a reasonable doubt” applies, and in appropriate cases, it allows for a broader net to be cast for accountability purposes. In short, a civil suit allows for accountability not only from a perpetrator of sexualized wrongdoing, but also from an enabler of unlawful conduct, such as an employer or organization that placed the perpetrator in a position of power and trust over the survivor. It also provides survivors with compensation for the significant harms and losses they have suffered.

It was a genuine privilege to represent Anne-Marie Robinson in her successful civil lawsuit, and we are so proud to see that our former client has continued her work to empower other survivors by bravely and publicly telling her story of sexual exploitation and abuse by her former high school music teacher, Douglas Walker.

As Anne-Marie Robinson’s former lawyer, Elizabeth Grace, offers the following observation: “Anne-Marie is a remarkable woman. Her motivation has always been selfless. Going public as she has now done is her way of saying there is no shame in being a survivor and you are not alone. She is right. I am so pleased she has been able to connect with another brave survivor of former music teacher Douglas Walker, and that she herself is no longer alone.”

Anne-Marie has told her story, and spoken her truth. When asked about her legal team, at Lerners, she said, “I really enjoyed working with Elizabeth and her team. They were caring and compassionate and are leaders in the area of teacher on student sexual assault.”

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Our Lady Seat Of Wisdom Releases Report On Sexualized Misconduct Allegations

Elizabeth Grace and her team prepared a report on behalf of our client outlining findings from an independent investigation that examined allegations of sexualized misconduct against Uwe Lieflander, a former choir master and music professor at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom.

Our report showed that the allegations are true and further clarifies some important details regarding the timeline.

Head over to the Toronto Star for more insight into the case:

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Death Knell Of Limitations Defence In Sexual Assault, Courtesy Of Harvey Weinstein

I don’t understand why, but I continue to see Statements of Defence that plead limitations defences in sexual abuse cases. Lawyers for institutional and individual defendants alike don’t seem willing to let go of an antiquated defence that no longer has any validity in Ontario.

It is now five years since significant amendments were made to Ontario’s Limitations Act, and it still bears repeating: There is no, I repeat no, statutory limitation period in Ontario for any claim arising from or relating to sexual abuse, no matter who that claim is against. Indeed, there has not been one since at least 2016, and arguably since the predecessor Limitations Act came into effect in 2004, although that iteration of the Act admittedly had some complicated exceptions and twists to it.

Long gone are the days when plaintiff lawyers practicing in the area of sexual abuse had to contend with a 4-year statutory limitation period for assault and battery, six years for negligence, none for breach of fiduciary duty, and a common law discoverability doctrine that the Supreme Court of Canada, in its ground-breaking decision in the civil incest case M.(K.) v. M.(H), 1992 CanLII 31, refined to apply to the sexual abuse context.

Ontario’s limitations regime in all respects, but especially in claims relating to sexual abuse, is now a much simpler and easier one to work with than when I first start to practice twenty-five years ago. Junior lawyers practicing in the abuse area will never appreciate the contortions that used to happen – on both sides of the fence – and more senior lawyers versed in the old ways need, frankly, to wake up and appreciate that times have changed. Our limitations laws have adapted to reflect society’s increased awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault, especially against women and children, the deep harms it causes, and to reduce the already heavy burden on those seeking justice and redress for historical wrongs they have suffered.

Recently, I came across a short, but instructive decision by Justice Patrick Monahan of Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice that nicely makes my point: Jane Doe v. Weinstein, 2018 ONSC 1126 (CanLII). I must have been busy or preoccupied when it was first released, as I missed it, but given the players involved, including Harvey Weinstein as the primary offending party, a Miramax movie shot in Toronto in 2000, and lawyer Marie Henein of Jian Ghomeshi notoriety acting for the plaintiff, rather than for a criminally accused client, it must have received some attention at the time.

In short, the plaintiff under the pseudonym Jane Doe sued not only Harvey Weinstein and some well known corporate entities in the entertainment field, but also a Barbara Schneeweiss, said to have been an assistant to Weinstein who did not actually sexually assault the plaintiff but did facilitate Weinstein’s sexual assaults. The claims against Ms. Schneeweiss were for intentional infliction of mental injury, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and negligent infliction of nervous shock.

Ms. Schneeweiss moved to strike the claims made against her in the Statement of Claim. She did so on various grounds, including that these claims were all statute-barred because they fell outside of the 2016 amendments to the Ontario Limitations Act that eliminated limitation periods for sexual assault.

A brief interlude is needed here to explain the pertinent provisions of the Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sch. B.

First, it bears remembering that the term “assault” is defined in s. 1 of the Act to include a battery, which in plain English means an unwanted or non-consensual touching.

Second, sub-sections 16(1)(h) and (h.1), (1.1) and (1.3) are the operative provisions in any case related to sexual assault or sexual misconduct.

To paraphrase, the essence of these provisions is as follows:

• There is no limitation period in respect of “a proceeding based on a sexual assault” (s. 16(1)(h)). Note: There is no limitation period for “a proceeding”, and a proceeding may and usually does include within it various claims asserted against various parties. Also, this does not read “for sexual assault”; it reads “based on a sexual assault”, which is broader than “for” and means arising or derived from.

• There is also no limitation period in respect of “a proceeding based on any misconduct of a sexual nature if…the person who committed the misconduct…was in a position of trust or authority in relation to the person with the claim”, or if the person with the claim was “financially, emotionally, physically or otherwise dependent” on the person who committed the misconduct (s. 16(1)(h.1)). Note: Again, the language here is expansive. “Misconduct of a sexual nature” captures a broad array of wrongful behaviour that extends beyond actual non-consensual sexual touching to include verbal, written and on-line forms of sexual harassment, intimidation and abuse. The focus on the nature of the relationship between the parties is also an indication that one is to look beyond titles or labels to the real power dynamics operating as between the parties.

• So long as a proceeding against a non-offending party is “in relation to” a sexual assault, it will not be time-barred, and for added clarity, the Limitations Act states that this rule “includes” claims for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty or any other duty, or for vicarious liability (s. 16(1.3)). Note: This captures proceedings involving, and thus claims against, third parties – meaning individual and institutional defendants other than the actual perpetrator of the sexual assault or sexualized misconduct, who are alleged to have facilitated or enabled the wrongful conduct through their own negligence or other fault-based conduct, or who are said to be liable by operation of the no-fault doctrine of vicariously liable.

• The above rules have retroactive and restorative effect because they apply “whenever the Act on which the claim is based occurred and regardless of expiry of any previously applicable limitation” (except where there was a dismissal and the time for appeal has lapsed, or where there was a legally binding settlement) (s. 16(1.1)). By restorative, I mean these rules restore or revive a claim that had previously expired under an old limitation period.

The judge hearing the motion to strike in Jane Doe v. Weinstein made it clear: Where a proceeding involves a claim for civil liability that arises from or is related to a sexual assault, that claim will not be time-barred under Ontario’s Limitations Act. As Monahan J. said about all of the claims against Ms. Schneeweiss:

Although [these] are not for the sexual assaults themselves, they all involve civil liability for actions that relate directly to Weinstein’s sexual assaults on [the plaintiff]. Schneeweiss is said to have facilitated the assaults, with knowledge, recklessness or indifference to the consequences for [the plaintiff]. Thus, all of the allegations against Schneeweiss in the Claim are “in relation to” Weinstein’s assaults and are not statute-barred. [para 27]

So, my plea to defence lawyers in Ontario is that they finally acknowledge and accept the breadth and meaning of the provisions in the Limitations Act that apply to sexual abuse and misconduct, and they stop asserting statutory limitation period defences. These defences no longer exist. If in doubt, read the court’s decision in Jane Doe v. Weinstein, which sounded the death knell of the limitations defence for sexualized wrongs and associated actionable conduct.

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SCC Won’t Hear Case Involving Vicarious Liability For Sex Assault

It’s unfortunate that the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) will not hear a case dealing with whether to attach legal responsibility to a cab company when a driver engages in sexual misconduct against a passenger, Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace tells AdvocateDaily.com.

“With the recent public attention being directed at the issue of sexual harassment and assault in workplaces, and other Commonwealth courts taking divergent approaches to vicarious liability, there was good reason to believe that the time was right for Canada’s top court to take a fresh look at the law of vicarious liability and how to apply it,” says Grace, a partner with Lerners LLP.

“In Canada, employers, organizations, insurers, those who have been subjected to sexual abuse, harassment or assault — and the lawyers acting for all these parties — would all stand to benefit from clarification about where the line should be drawn for and against vicarious liability in these times of heightened sensitivity and commitment to eradicating sexual misconduct,” she says.

Canadian Underwriter reports that a woman filed a civil lawsuit against a taxi company in 2015 after complaining that one of its drivers sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit also named the cab owner and driver, who was later found not guilty of sexual assault in a criminal trial.

The lawsuit against the cab company was dismissed in 2016 by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which rejected the plaintiff’s argument that the taxi company was vicariously liable, the article states. That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2017.

The plaintiff’s application for leave to appeal to the SCC was dismissed with costs on Feb. 1.

Grace, who was not involved in the taxi case but has more than 20 years of experience litigating sexual abuse cases, says plaintiff and defence lawyers practising in the sexual abuse, harassment and assault areas were keenly watching to see whether the SCC would take this opportunity to revisit the law.

She says it’s bound to come before the court again in some other context, noting the issue of vicarious liability for sexual assault has been considered by the SCC on approximately six occasions, the last time in 2005.

“Vicarious liability is a no-fault form of strict liability that came into prominence in Canada in the sexual abuse area in 1999, when the SCC heard two appeals that raised the question of whether an employer who is not negligent or otherwise at fault can still be held legally responsible for damages caused by the intentional sexual misconduct of its employee,” Grace says. “The top court released a ground-breaking decision on vicarious liability for employee sexual abuse in 1999.”

Relying on the principle of ‘enterprise risk,’ Grace says the court found that where an employee’s misconduct is closely tied to a risk that the employer’s enterprise has put into the community, principles of fair compensation and deterrence dictate that the employer be held vicariously liable for the harms caused by its employee, whether or not it knew or ought to have known the employee was harmful.

In that case, which involved a residential childcare facility, the SCC unanimously found in favour of vicarious liability attaching to the employer institution. However, in a companion case involving a children’s recreation club, Grace says the court was split when it applied the test for the imposition of vicarious liability laid down in the 1999 case.

“A narrow majority held that vicarious liability should not attach to the children’s club for the sexual abuse committed by its senior staff member against children who had participated in club activities,” she says.

The SCC’s 2004 decision that found a church organization vicariously liable for its clergy member’s sexual misconduct was also a legal “game changer,” Grace says.

“Residential children’s facilities and church organizations and their respective insurers, understanding that vicarious liability was almost certain to be imposed, became more amenable to streamlining claims, entertaining alternative dispute resolution processes, and settling cases,” she says.

Negligence is notoriously difficult for a plaintiff to prove and thus, she says, it plays a limited compensatory and deterrent role for sexual abuse.

“Yet we seem to be at an unprecedented crossroad. There is widespread recognition of the need to stop sexually predatory behaviours against those who are most vulnerable, including children and women,” Grace says. “There is also widespread acceptance that sexual abuse is prevalent not because of a few ‘bad apple’ individuals, but for systemic reasons.”

She says by capturing the enablers and facilitators of sexual abuse, such as employers and organizations that, albeit sometimes unwittingly, contribute to opportunities for sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable persons, vicarious liability offers a means of imposing legal accountability on those most able to prevent and stop sexual abuse.

“There are many outlier cases that do not fit neatly into the cases where vicarious liability is now accepted as applying,” she says. “The taxi case that the SCC declined to hear is just one illustration of such a case. As more and more victims of sexual abuse choose to turn to the civil justice system, rather than the criminal system, we can expect many more sexual abuse cases in which the limits of vicarious liability will be tested.”

This article originally appeared on AdvocateDaily.com.

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Canada’s Highest Court Delivers Wake-Up Call On Child Sexual Abuse: UPDATED

The Supreme Court of Canada has spoken out about the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse and the profound harms it causes, and has implored those involved in the justice system to treat this problem with more care and sensitivity. In R. v. Friesen, 2020 SCC 9, a case involving a young victim of sexual offences, our highest court took the opportunity to deliver a wake-up call that extends beyond criminal law to other areas of the law.

As my interest lies with the civil justice system and how it responds to sexual violence against children and other vulnerable persons, I want to speak to why and how R. v. Friesen is relevant to liability and damages in civil cases involving sexualized abuse and misconduct.

The Supreme Court opened its landmark 9-0 decision by stating the obvious: “Children are the future of our country and our communities.” It went on to say it is “send[ing] a strong message” that:

…sexual offences against children are violent crimes that wrongfully exploit children’s vulnerability and cause profound harm to children, families, and communities. Sentences for these crimes must increase. Courts must impose sentences that are proportional to the gravity of sexual offences against children and the degree of responsibility of the offender, as informed by Parliament’s sentencing initiatives and by society’s deepened understanding of the wrongfulness and harmfulness of sexual violence against children.

These powerful opening words have resonance in the civil context too. The claims (or causes of action) and the compensation (or monetary damages) assessment principles that are the bases for civil liability, must similarly be interpreted and applied in ways that reflect the wrongfulness of the sexual exploitation and violation of children, and the profound and often lifelong harms caused by this wrong.

We recently saw an example of such an approach in the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in MacLeod v. Marshall, 2019 O.N.C.A. 842 (CanLII) – see my earlier post on this case entitled “Lower Threshold for Proving Income Losses in Cases Involving Childhood Sexual Abuse and Injury.” In that case, the Court of Appeal clarified that principles for determining loss of income in historic child sexual abuse cases need to be adapted to the unique circumstances facing a victim whose harms were caused before they had finished school and/or started working. The Court of Appeal affirmed that the usual standard of proof – a balance of probabilities – is too harsh where the victim had not yet had the opportunity to start earning income. Instead, it favoured using the lower standard of “chance” or “real or substantial probability.” Thus, in a civil lawsuit involving childhood sexual abuse, this lower standard of proof applies when assessing both past and future loss of income.

This is precisely the kind of adaptation of the law that the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in R. v. Friesen telegraphs as necessary if we are to recognize and validate the inherent wrongfulness and harmfulness of sexual violence against children. Of note, on April 30, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the application for leave to appeal that was brought by the unsuccessful defendant religious organization in MacLeod v. Marshall. This means the Court of Appeal’s ruling on how to approach loss of income in a historic childhood sexual abuse case is now the law in Ontario, and a highly persuasive legal authority in the rest of Canada.

While the criminal justice system is focussed on punishing individual offenders, the civil justice system has a special role in providing accountability and redress that extends beyond the individual perpetrator to others responsible for the wrongs and/or harms. The civil justice system is uniquely placed to make those who enable or empower (wittingly or not) perpetrators of child sexual abuse legally accountable. By casting the net of accountability and responsibility more widely and being prepared to do so in ever more insightful and reflective ways, the civil justice system can do its part in responding to the Supreme Court of Canada’s call to action on child sexual violence in R. v. Friesen.

There are many “take-aways” from the landmark decision in R. v. Friesen, and what I have done below is distill what the Supreme Court of Canada has said that, in my view, has direct or indirect application to civil sexualized misconduct and abuse cases.

The courts are seeing more cases involving sexual violence against children.

• New technologies like the internet are enabling new forms of sexual violence against children, and providing perpetrators with new ways to access and control youth. These technologies are also making qualitative changes to these sexual offences; for example, the online distribution of images repeats the original violation by making its victim live with the knowledge that others may be accessing these images in the future.

• Just as legislators have been recognizing, adapting and trying to keep pace with developments in child sexual abuse, “[c]ourts too have been on a ‘learning curve’ to understand both the extent and the effects of sexual violence against children”. The law has had to and will continue to evolve to respond to its prevalence, and to the different manifestations of the wrong and harms it causes.

• The wrongful nature of child sexual abuse stems from the fact it represents a simultaneous invasion of a child’s personal autonomy, a violation of the child’s bodily and sexual integrity, and an attack on the child’s dignity and equality.

• “Violence is always inherent in the act of applying force of a sexual nature to a child.” Whether or not there is additional physical violence and/or physical injuries that accompany such abuse, any physical contact of a sexual nature with a child is, the Supreme Court has said, “a wrongful act of physical and psychological violence.”

• The attack on personal autonomy, bodily integrity, sexual integrity, dignity and equality that sexual abuse against a child represents means courts must consider the resulting psychological harm which will often be more pervasive and permanent than physical harm.

• Beyond the life altering consequences that flow to those who are targeted, sexual violence against children has ripple effects, including harm to people who are close to these children and harm to relationships. There is also harm to the broader communities in which the targeted children live, as well as to society as a whole:

Some of these costs can be quantified, such as the social problems that sexual violence against children causes, the costs of state intervention, and the economic impact of medical costs, lost productivity, and treatment for pain and suffering … [C]hildren who are victims of sexual violence may be more likely to engage in sexual violence against children themselves when they reach adulthood … Sexual violence against children can thus fuel a cycle of sexual violence that results in the proliferation and normalization of the violence in a given community.

• Courts must impose sentences – and I would add, damages awards – that are commensurate with the gravity of sexual offences against children.

It is not sufficient for courts to simply state that sexual offences against children are serious….courts must recognize and give effect to (1) the inherent wrongfulness of these offences; (2) the potential harm to children that flows from these offences; and (3) the actual harm that children suffer as a result of these offences.

• Sexual violence against children “inherently has the potential to cause several recognized forms of harm”. These are harms that manifest themselves:

1. During childhood, such as self-destructive behaviours, acting out, guilty feelings and shame, lack of trust, low self esteem, inability to concentrate in school, running away from home, sleep disturbances and nightmares, anxiety, and depression; and

2. During the victim’s adult years, such as difficulty forming loving and caring relationships with others, being prone to engage in sexual violence against children themselves, and struggling with substance abuse, mental illness, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviours, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, anger and poor self esteem.

• The Supreme Court warned that lower courts must reject the belief there is no serious harm if there was no additional physical violence that caused actual physical injury. It also warned against the tendency to downplay the wrongfulness of child sexual abuse or its harm to the victim where the acts did not involve penetration, fellatio or cunnilingus, but instead involved touching or masturbation. The notion that the latter kinds of sexual touching are “relatively benign” and thus inherently less harmful is, the Supreme Court said, “a myth that must be rejected.” Why? Because it does not provide any meaningful insight into how the actions were experienced by the targeted child.

[C]ourts have at times spoken of the degree of physical interference as a type of ladder of physical acts with touching and masturbation at the least wrongful end of the scale, fellatio and cunnilingus in the mid-range, and penile penetration at the most wrongful end of the scale… This is an error — there is no type of hierarchy of physical acts for the purposes of determining the degree of physical interference. As the Ontario Court of Appeal recognized in Stuckless (2019), physical acts such as digital penetration and fellatio can be just as serious a violation of the victim’s bodily integrity as penile penetration… Similarly, it is an error to assume that an assault that involves touching is inherently less physically intrusive than an assault that involves fellatio, cunnilingus, or penetration. For instance, depending on the circumstances of the case, touching that is both extensive and intrusive can be equally or even more physically intrusive than an act of fellatio, cunnilingus, or penetration. [emphasis added]

• The Supreme Court has reminded us that words matter, including those used by courts when they deal with child sexual abuse. Use of terms like “fondling” or “caressing” must stop. This is because they implicitly characterize the perpetrator’s conduct as erotic or affectionate, instead of inherently violent. Language like this is misleading and risks normalizing the very conduct that is being scrutinized and condemned.

• In cases where the target of sexual abuse is too young or otherwise unable or unavailable to provide direct evidence of the actual harm suffered, courts may nonetheless find actual harm based on factors such as breach of trust, grooming, multiple instances of sexual violence, and the young age of the child. The Supreme Court stressed that direct evidence from children or their caregivers is not required for a court to find that children have suffered actual harm as a result of sexual violence.

• Sexual interference with a child should not be treated as less serious than sexual assault against an adult, and sexual offences against children should generally be punished more severely than the same offences against adults. I would argue this differentiation has already been recognized in the civil context. Damages awarded to victims of child sexual abuse will usually exceed those awarded to adult victims. Whereas the upper range of general damages in child sexual abuse cases can exceed $385,000 (M. v. Marson, 2018 ONSC 3493 (CanLII)), the upper end of such damages where an adult is targeted is more in the range of $300,000 (Zando v. Ali, 2018 ONCA 680 (CanLII), aff’g 2017 ONSC 1289). For more on these kinds of awards, see my posts “Trends in civil sexual abuse awards, Part 1 and Part 2.”

• A child victim’s “participation” in sexual activity is not de facto consent and should never be treated as a mitigating factor. The Supreme Court’s clear directive that such participation is not a legally relevant consideration at sentencing should, I would argue, apply equally to damages in civil sexual abuse cases. The Supreme Court appropriately acknowledged that “Adolescence can be a confusing and challenging time for young people as they grow and mature, navigate friendships and peer groups, and discover their sexuality.” It warned that a victim’s participation should not distract from the harm suffered, and moreover that the absence of additional overt violence, such as weapons, intimidation and physical injury, does not mean the inherent violence of the sexual abuse of the child should be ignored or downplayed.

• Departure from prior precedents, be it from sentencing ranges, and I would add from civil damages awards, may be required to ensure a proportionate punishment and remedy are imposed and granted. The Supreme Court warned that not only should courts be cautious about relying on dated precedents that do not reflect current awareness of the impact of sexual abuse on children, but more recent precedents must also be treated with caution if they simply follow dated precedents. This warning by our top court rings equally true in the civil as in the criminal context.

While protection of children is one of the most fundamental values of Canadian society, the Supreme Court of Canada observed that sexual violence against this vulnerable group “turns this value on its head.” R. v. Friesen is a refreshingly insightful and reflective decision by our highest court that debunks myths and stereotypes and warns about falling prey to common or outdated misconceptions. The Court provides clear direction about how our justice system needs to approach the tragic cases involving child sexual abuse that too often come before it. The Court’s warnings and guidance transcend criminal law and should inform all of the legal contexts in which sexual violence against children arise, including the civil context. R. v. Friesen truly reflects a wake-up call for every one of us.

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Pre-Judgment Interest Developments In The Historical Sexual Abuse Context

Pre-judgment interest (“PJI”) on damages in historical sexual abuse cases involving plaintiffs who seek compensation for wrongs perpetrated against them years and sometimes decades earlier has long been a contentious issue. At what point in time should interest start to accrue, and at what rate?

Two recent Ontario court decisions involving adult plaintiffs suing for childhood sexual assault offer answers to these two sometimes vexing questions.

In L.R. v. S.P., 2019 ONSC 1737, the trial judge considered the different approaches that courts have used in the past to determine when a cause of action arises, and thus, when PJI should start to run. These approaches yield different starting points for the calculation of interest which, in a historical claim, can yield hugely discrepant amounts. For example, if the date of the abuse is used, then the interest will be far greater than if the date the action was started is used.

The court in L.R. v. S.P. acknowledged that the date when a claim is reasonably discoverable – i.e., when the plaintiff was reasonably capable of discovering the wrongful nature of the defendant’s conduct and that this misconduct caused harm – is the most common approach for determining when the cause of action arose. The presumption in sexual abuse cases is that this discovery by the plaintiff does not usually happen until the plaintiff receives some sort of therapy or treatment, although this presumption can be rebutted by case-specific circumstances that support a different date (earlier or later).

Once the date for calculating interest is determined, the interest rate for calculating PJI must be decided. In a historical sexual abuse case, where interest may run for potentially decades, the rate of interest can make a significant difference to the outcome. Sections 127 and 128 of the Ontario Courts of Justice Act define what constitutes the PJI rate and how it is to be calculated. For non-pecuniary loss claims for personal injury (i.e., general and aggravated damages), Rule 53.10 of the Rules of Civil Procedure in Ontario fixes the default PJI rate at 5% per year.

However, s. 130(1) of the Courts of Justice Act gives the court a wide discretionary berth to deviate, where it considers it just to do so, from awarding the interest otherwise calculable and owing by operation of ss. 127 and 128 of and Rule 53.10. Where a court does deviate, it must take into account the various considerations set out in s. 130(2) of the Courts of Justice Act, including changes in market interest rates and the circumstances of the case, among a myriad of other factors.

The Ontario Court of Appeal in MacLeod v. Marshall, 2019 ONCA 842, a historical clergy sexual abuse case, recently allowed an appeal from the trial judge’s award of PJI on non-pecuniary damages at the rate of 5% as prescribed by Rule 53.10, finding that the rate of 1.3% should have been used instead based on much lower market interest rates during the relevant time period.

Since interest rates have varied significantly over time, with a high of over 13% in 1990 to a low of 0.5% during parts of 2009 and 2010, one can expect to see much closer attention being given to dates and rates for the calculation of PJI in historical sexual assault cases. Arguments that rates should be lowered from, for example, the default 5% rate prescribed by Rule 53.10, are likely to be met with arguments that the date from which interest should be calculated is not when notice of the claim was given, but rather, a much earlier date when the plaintiff, either through independent means or with assistance from others, connected the wrong to the harms. Where the plaintiff disclosed the abuse to the wrongdoer, to an organization or employer associated with the wrongdoer, to authorities such as police, or to third parties like a doctor or therapist, then there will be evidence of an earlier date when the cause of action arose.

Lawyers for plaintiffs and defendants alike need to give these arguments careful consideration before deciding what course to pursue in terms of date and rate for PJI because the implications for their respective clients can be significant.

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Lower Threshold For Proving Income Loss In Cases Involving Childhood Sexual Abuse And Injury

The Ontario Court of Appeal in its October 25, 2019 decision in MacLeod v. Marshall, 2019 ONCA 842 has clarified that when a minor is injured and later, in adulthood, sues for compensation, they need not prove their past loss of income on the usual balance of probabilities standard. Instead, because at the time of the incidents causing injury the plaintiff was too young to have an established pattern of earnings, the plaintiff need only prove their income loss on the standard of whether there was a “real and substantial possibility” that they would have achieved the claimed earnings but for the incidents.

This clarification of the law has particular application in the historical childhood sexual abuse context where adult plaintiffs seek compensation for harms and losses resulting from assaults perpetrated on them when they were minors. As it turns out, this was precisely what was at issue in the MacLeod v. Marshall case, which involved abuse by a priest against the plaintiff when he was only a child.

Since all income losses that were claimed occurred after the abuse, all such losses were hypothetical in the sense that they were earnings the plaintiff claimed he would have had if he had not been abused. The Court of Appeal therefore held they needed only to be proven on the lower standard of proof, “realistic and substantial possibility”.

The Court of Appeal explained that, once wrongdoing has been established, income loss is to be quantified based on the following analysis. First, consideration needs to be given to what economic opportunities the plaintiff might have had if not abused. Second, consideration needs to be given to what further income the plaintiff could have earned, if any, than what he or she actually earned. Third, the percentage chance that the plaintiff would indeed have earned that additional income, taking into account positive and negative contingencies, must be determined.

This clarification of the law by an appellate court is important because, for too long, plaintiffs in historical sexual assault cases have been met with the objection by defendants that their income loss claims are far too speculative to be recognized as legitimate. The defence argument is usually that, because they were so young when the abuse occurred, it cannot possibly be known what their career paths would have entailed without the abuse. Therefore, they should receive nothing for loss of income, or only a very modest amount to reflect a loss of opportunity or competitive advantage.

The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision provides a principled basis on which to resist such arguments, but also guidance about the kind of evidence a plaintiff with a claim based on childhood incidents must put forward to succeed with respect to past loss of income. The fact the Court of Appeal in MacLeod v. Marshall declined to interfere with a jury award for combined past and future income loss of almost $1.6 million, gives further credence to the argument that income loss claims in the historical sexual abuse context are ones that deserve to be taken seriously. Defendants and insurers should expect to see many more such claims being advanced. Going forward, Plaintiffs will be less willing to compromise on these claims in the course of settlement negotiations.

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Landmark Ruling in Sexual Assault – Ontario Court Confirms No ‘Cap’ On Damages For Pain and Suffering

Concluding the sexual abuse and its impacts were “at the upper end of the worst-case scale,” an Ontario court has awarded a plaintiff $400,000 for non-pecuniary damages: D.S. v. Quesnelle, 2019 ONSC 3230. From ages 5 to 10, the plaintiff had endured horrendous weekly sexual assaults by his stepfather.

In making this award for pain and suffering, the court expressly chose not to be restricted by the ‘cap’ on non-pecuniary damages that the Supreme Court of Canada in its 1978 trilogy of decisions said should apply in catastrophic personal injury cases. This cap was set at $100,000 in 1978, but adjusted for inflation, it amounts to $368,000 in 2019 dollars.

It has long been recognized that the policy reasons for a ‘cap’ in catastrophic personal injury cases that result from accidents and negligent conduct simply do not apply to intentional misconduct like sexual assault, which is a distinctive wrong that causes unique harms and injuries. Unlike other unlawful conduct, sexual assault is a targeted and inherently violent form of abuse of power that humiliates, degrades and violates the dignity of those who experience it.

Notwithstanding its decision to introduce a ‘cap’ into Canadian law, the Supreme Court of Canada has accepted that there are circumstances in which it will not apply. For example, in the defamation context, there is no arbitrary limit on what a person who has suffered damage to reputation and dignity may be awarded as non-pecuniary damages: Hill v. Scientology of Toronto, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130.

In 1996, the British Columbia Court of Appeal extended the exception to a case of incest by a father against his daughter, finding the policy justifications for the ‘cap’ simply did not apply: S.F. v. F.G.C., 1996 CanLII 6597 (B.C.C.A.). Unlike with catastrophic personal injury, there is little risk that a plaintiff, who has been sexually assaulted and suffered devastating psychological harms as a result, will be ‘overcompensated’ because of already generous awards under pecuniary heads of damage, such as loss of earning capacity or cost of care, that are intended to provide lifetime economic security. Nor are awards in sexual assault cases ones that could negatively impact the public purse or cause enormous increases in insurance premiums, both concerns that informed the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to introduce a ‘cap’ on non-pecuniary damages for personal injury.

And yet it took more than two decades for an Ontario court to address the appropriateness of the ‘cap’ in the sexual abuse context. With the release of the decision in D.S. v. Quesnelle, we now have in Ontario an unequivocal statement that the ‘cap’ should not constrain damages for pain and suffering for sexual abuse, and an award that actually exceeds the amount of the cap. This is consistent with the trend towards greater recognition by society and by our courts of the depth of the harms caused by sexual violation and exploitation. While the claim in D.S. v. Quesnelle was undefended, the court’s decision should help pave the way for awards that reflect the full extent of the wrongs perpetrated and their consequences on individual survivors of sexual abuse. Courts need not feel artificially constrained by precedents that have either explicitly or implicitly been informed by the ‘cap’, or by the ‘cap’ itself.

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Vicarious Liability In Sexual Abuse Cases Lagging In Canada?

While the doctrine of vicarious liability is one of the more powerful legal tools to deter and prevent sexual misconduct because it targets employers and organizations, Canada is arguably falling behind other jurisdictions in its application, says Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace.

This judge-made doctrine holds organizations accountable for both the negligent and intentional misconduct of their personnel. “It is meant to serve as a deterrent and to compel powerful entities to do more to stamp out sexual misconduct,” says Grace, partner with Lerners LLP.

“Employers and organizations can indirectly facilitate sexual abuse by conferring power and authority on their personnel which, if unchecked, can be misused to harm vulnerable parties. Vicarious liability makes these entities responsible for compensating victims and thereby provides a strong incentive on them to implement measures to discourage this type of wrongful behaviour,” she tells AdvocateDaily.com.

Grace notes Canada was on the leading edge in this area back in 1999 when the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) advanced the common law to allow for vicarious liability — a no-fault form of strict liability — to attach to employers. The matter involved a claim for damages against a non-profit organization that ran a residential care facility for troubled children based on sexual assaults committed by one of its employees. The plaintiff sought damages on the basis that the organization should be held vicariously liable for the damages caused by its employee.

“Since then, we’ve fallen behind other jurisdictions,” Grace says, pointing to two 2003 SCC decisions involving appellants who suffered abuse in foster homes. In those cases, the SCC found there was no vicarious liability that attached to the public entity in charge of child welfare based on abuse children in foster care had suffered at the hands of their foster parents, Grace says.

“Canada’s top court ruled it was not going to hold the government vicariously liable for misconduct by foster parents against their foster children. But the United Kingdom’s top court recently found a local authority was vicariously liable in a case of foster parent abuse. Likewise, the New Zealand Court of Appeal has found vicarious liability in similar circumstances,” Grace says.

There are contexts in Canada where there is clearly established vicarious liability, such as with clergy sexual misconduct, but Grace says there are other contexts in which Canadian courts have ruled both ways, such as where sexual abuse has been committed against students by school personnel, including teachers.

Grace characterizes a 2017 Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) decision involving a taxi driver who sexually assaulted his female passenger as “troubling” for the evolution of vicarious liability in Canada.

According to court documents, the plaintiff was at a party late one evening, intoxicated and feeling unwell. A friend called a taxi company to dispatch a taxi to drive her home. The taxi arrived, and the plaintiff alleged that she was sexually assaulted by its driver. The plaintiff sued the driver and the taxi company for damages, claiming the company was vicariously liable for the misconduct of its driver.

The OCA found the taxi company was not vicariously liable and the SCC denied leave to appeal.

“In this era of #MeToo and heightened concern about the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual assault and the serious harms these cause, we need our courts to grapple with how to extend, not limit, vicarious liability because it is truly one of the best legal tools at our disposal,” Grace says.

“We have to use the law to stop the pervasive problem of sexual abuse and target the more powerful entities in society who can make a real difference,” Grace adds. “I fear Canada may be falling behind other Commonwealth jurisdictions when it comes to applying vicarious liability to sexual abuse committed in novel contexts. We need this form of legal liability to evolve and be used as a tool to reduce instances of sexual misconduct.”

This article originally appeared on AdvocateDaily.com

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Trends In Civil Sexual Abuse Awards: Part 2

In the second instalment of a miniseries on advancing damages in sexual assault cases, Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace discusses developments in awards for historical childhood abuse.

The award ranges for pain and suffering awards in historical childhood sexual abuse cases are steadily climbing, Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace tells AdvocateDaily.com.

“These inflation-adjusted non-pecuniary ranges act as benchmarks,” says Grace, who has been practising in the area of sexual abuse and misconduct for 25 years. “What I have noticed lately is that defence counsel are starting to acknowledge this.”

She points to a 2004 Ontario Superior Court of Justice matter involving three brothers who had been abused by their former priest. Justice John Kerr found the abuse justified awards at the upper end of the scale and noted the damages suggested by the defence did not “reflect the present-day level of awards for compensation for the effects of sexual assault on individuals in their formative years.”

Grace, partner with Lerners LLP, says the range for childhood sexual abuse for non-pecuniary damages identified in this 2004 decision works out to be approximately $159,000 to $319,000 when adjusted for inflation.

“Fourteen years later, a 2018 case involving a teacher sexually abusing a child provides an even bigger range,” she says.

In that matter, an action was brought by an adult plaintiff against his teacher and the school board for childhood sexual abuse. The plaintiff — who suffers from major depression with dysthymia, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and personality disorder of the antisocial and borderline type — alleged that these serious mental health issues and injuries were a result of the sexual abuse perpetrated on him by the defendant.

Grace, who was not involved in the matter and comments generally, says the judge found the inflation-adjusted range of non-pecuniary damages for childhood sexual abuse cases to be $56,000 to $371,000.

“$371,000 is now the high-water mark accepted by our courts,” notes Grace.

Justice Helen MacLeod-Beliveau found the impact of the sexual abuse on the plaintiff was severe and assessed the total damages at $250,000 for general non-pecuniary and aggravated damages. She also awarded $135,587 for future loss of an interdependent relationship.

Grace notes the validation of the future loss of interdependent relationship claim is significant.

“This pecuniary claim recognizes the loss of the ability to form and sustain an interdependent domestic relationship. This is a loss that can be measured and can cause economic hardship because two can live more cheaply than one. It’s recognized that there are efficiencies to living as a couple.”

“Years ago when I started in the sexual abuse area, there was this new loss of interdependency head of damages, and I thought, ‘Wow, this has application to the sexual abuse context.’ Fundamentally, you have people who have suffered a deeply personal wrong, and their trust has been broken. They often have difficulty forming relationships after the abuse. There are intimacy issues, and they will often have flashbacks to the abuse they suffered. This becomes a real problem when forming or maintaining relationships.”

She says it was refreshing to read that the court had found the category of pecuniary loss did apply in this childhood sexual abuse case.

“The decision breathes new life into this category of damages. The court recognized the plaintiff had failed marriages and accepted that there is a real possibility that he’s not going to form another relationship in his remaining years because of the abuse he suffered as a child.”

This article originally appeared on AdvocateDaily.com

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Trends In Civil Sexual Abuse Awards: Part 1

In the first installment of a two-part series on advancing damages in sexual assault claims, Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace discusses how one recent decision has increased the range for non-pecuniary damages in single incident adult female cases.

In an area of law where the significant harms caused by sexual assault and misconduct have been chronically undervalued, a recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision is “significant,” says Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace.

“There are many reasons why civil sexual assault damages have been historically undervalued,” says Grace, partner with Lerners LLP. “Often there are psychological harms that are ‘invisible’ or perceived as intangible and, as a result, are valued as being lesser.”

There is also complexity around sexual assault victims — with some people having been assaulted before or after the abuse in question — which tends to drive awards down, she tells AdvocateDaily.com.

“Sometimes a person suffered trauma before the main assault and so they had pre-existing problems. If there were prior incidents of abuse or neglect, the defence’s position is that the victim was already compromised, and they only need to be restored to where they would have been without the abuse in question,” Grace says.

She adds, “Victims of abuse will often go on to have troubled lives and suffer further traumas, assaults or have problems with the law. That is frequently a point of contention. Were those subsequent problems caused by the assault in question or were they independent and unrelated?”

Grace says despite these factors often driving down awards and settlements, a 2018 Ontario Court of Appeal decision that addresses the range of appropriate non-pecuniary damages for a single incident of sexual assault against an adult woman brings some needed clarity to the law.

The case involved a female physician who was assaulted by a male colleague in her home. They were both married and co-workers at an Ontario hospital. The sexual assault reportedly consisted of one incident when the man, under the pretext of visiting the woman’s home on an urgent matter, removed his shirt and then, in the bathroom, the rest of his clothes.

Returning to the room, he tripped his female colleague, thrust his erect penis into her face, pulled down her pants and penetrated her vagina. He rolled off after she screamed, and, as she was leaving the room, she saw him masturbate and ejaculate onto the rug, the decision states.

“The defence argued that this type of case is worth $20,000 to $50,000 when parties are essentially equal in terms of power dynamics, and there’s no evidence of long-lasting harm,” says Grace, who was not involved in the matter and comments generally.

The trial judge disagreed and awarded the plaintiff $175,000 for general and aggravated (non-pecuniary) damages. On appeal, the province’s top court affirmed this award, finding that sexual assault is unique and its “humiliating and degrading nature” would justify such an award in circumstances like this.

“The Court of Appeal in its reasons affirmed that the range of non-pecuniary damages in a single incident sexual assault against an adult woman is $144,000 to $290,000,” Grace says. “Those are not the damages you can calculate with precision, such as loss of income or the cost of therapy. Rather, these are damages that compensate for pain and suffering and the loss of enjoyment of life.”

“For victims of sexual assault, the category of non-pecuniary damages has always been a critical part of the compensation awarded. This is why the Court of Appeal’s decision is so important. It will guide lawyers acting on both sides of these cases when they are valuing claims,” she says. “And, of course, this range will have to be adjusted upward to account for inflation in the years to come.”

Stay tuned for part two where Grace will explore damages in childhood sexual abuse cases.

This article originally appeared on AdvocateDaily.com

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Contact ELIZABETH Today

Lerners understands you need someone to believe in you. Our consultations are free. Call today and let us help you and your family.

416.601.2378 | egrace@lerners.ca

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Punitive Damages Awarded In Revenge Porn Case

A recent civil case where the court awarded $100,000 in general, aggravated and punitive damages to a victim of “revenge porn” is a significant advancement of the common law, Toronto civil sexual abuse lawyer Elizabeth Grace tells AdvocateDaily.com.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice matter involved the plaintiff who was seeking a default judgment against her former boyfriend for damages arising from his abusive behaviour towards her and his posting — without her knowledge and consent — of a sexually explicit video of her on a pornographic internet website.

“This case involved physical assault against an intimate partner,” says Grace, partner with Lerners LLP. In addition, “the plaintiff’s ex-boyfriend and father of her child posted a sexually explicit video on a pornographic website. Her face was visible in the video while his was not, and he allegedly did it as payback because she reported his violence to the police.”

“While she consented at the time to the video being made, she did not consent to its public disclosure to others. By the time she learned about the video being posted online, at least two years had passed, and it was viewed more than 60,000 times, linked to 10 different websites and downloaded who knows many times,” Grace says.

“This was devastating to her, and she was haunted by the fear that others would see it, including her child,” she adds.

While Manitoba has the Intimate Image Protection Act and Saskatchewan, Alberta and Newfoundland have tabled revenge porn laws, there is no similar statute in Ontario, Grace says.

“What the court has done is use judge-made law to provide a remedy for acts of online harassment including revenge porn through the creation of the tort of public disclosure of private facts without consent,” she notes.

In her judgment, Justice Sally Gomery wrote: “A strength of the common law is its ability to evolve and adapt to changing circumstances.”

Her decision noted that the tort of public disclosure of private facts has existed in U.S. law for decades.

“Despite its vintage, it is well-suited for use in the context of internet posting and distribution of intimate and sexually explicit images and recordings. It is the cousin to another privacy tort already recognized in Ontario, intrusion on seclusion,” Gomery wrote. “As such, it is an appropriate, proportionate legal response to a growing problem enabled by new technology.”

Grace, who was not involved in the matter and comments generally, says another interesting aspect of the case was that the plaintiff received a separate award of damages for the breach of privacy she suffered.

“This case was against an individual, not an institution — so it’s significant. We’re not dealing with someone who is wealthy, yet the court awarded $75,000 for general and aggravated damages, plus $25,000 as punitive damages.” These amounts were, Grace stresses, “on top of the $20,000 awarded in general damages for the physical and verbal assaults the plaintiff had endured.”

The role of “punishing” people is often left to the criminal courts, Grace notes.

“In the sexual abuse area, civil courts will sometimes award punitive damages. In this case, the defendant had already been criminally convicted for his physical assaults, which is usually a reason why a civil court won’t award punitive damages,” Grace says. “But here, the court saw fit to award punitive damages for a wrong that had gone unpunished by the criminal court — the defendant’s revenge porn.”

This article originally appeared on AdvocateDaily.com

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Contact ELIZABETH Today

Lerners understands you need someone to believe in you. Our consultations are free. Call today and let us help you and your family.

416.601.2378 | egrace@lerners.ca

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