On October 11, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada heard the oral submissions in the case of Bradley Barton v. Her Majesty the Queen.
Bradley Barton, who by his own admission caused Cindy Gladue’s death, was found not guilty of her murder in 2015. In 2017, Alberta Court of Appeal found that serious legal errors were made in the original trial and ordered a new trial for Barton. Barton has appealed this decision and the case is now in front of Canada’s highest court (the Supreme Court of Canada).
The Women’s Equality and Liberty Coalition, as an intervener in the case, made written and *oral submissions on the case to the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Women’s Equality and Liberty Coalition is made up of six organizations with front-line expertise on men’s prostitution/commercial sexual exploitation of women as well as other forms of male violence, including wife battering, incest, sexual assault and sexual harassment:
Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN),
Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation,(CEASE),
Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle (CLES),
formerly Exploited Voices now Educating (EVE) and
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter
Lawyers for the coalition are Janine Benedet and Gwendoline Allison
Media coverage of the coalition’s position:
Advocates push for changes to sexual consent, prostitution laws as top court hears Gladue case – CBC News, Oct 10, 2018
Supreme Court case puts focus on justice for Indigenous people in Canada – APTN National News, Oct 10, 2018
Women’s Coalition Speaks on Upcoming Supreme Court Case on Cindy Gladue’s Death – Headline politics, CPAC, Oct 10, 2018
Supreme Court hearing on sexual consent and the 2011 death of Cindy Gladue – PrimeTime Politics, CPAC, Oct 10, 2018 (19:50 minutes into the video)
Supreme Court to Hear Gladue Case – CityNews Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton, Oct 10, 2018
Cindy Gladue became the face of violence against Indigenous women inside and outside of court – Nation to Nation, APTN, Oct 12, 2018 (9:30 minutes into the video)
*The Coliltion’s oral submission is at 2 hours and 55 minutes into the Supreme Court of Canada webcast.