News & Media

The Clinic actively engages with the media to ensure the public and our community is aware of our position on gender-based-violence and what we are doing to prevent and resolve violence against women locally, nationally and globally.

November 20, 2017

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic joins as a public interest plaintiff in ‘unfounded’ lawsuit against the London Police Service

TORONTO, November 20, 2017 — The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic has joined as a plaintiff in the ‘unfounded’ lawsuit against the London Police Service (LPS) for its discriminatory investigation and dismissal of sexual assault cases between 2010 – 2017. We base our claim on our multi-decade experience of the ongoing and systemic discrimination sexual assault survivors face when seeking legal redress for sexual assault. We join the two individual claimants in demanding fundamental change as to how the London Police Service handles sexual assault crimes, based on our expertise as Canada’s only gender-based violence, multi-service clinic.

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July 20, 2017

Overturning of conviction signals need for mandatory judicial education in sexual assault

Thursday, July 20, 2017 – The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is disheartened by today’s decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice overturning the guilty verdict in the sexual assault trial of Mustafa Ururyar.

The trial judge convicted Mr. Ururyar on July 21, 2016. Both Ms. Gray and Mr. Ururyar testified at trial. After extensive cross-examination, the judge found Ms. Gray’s account of the sexual assault to be credible and was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the assault had occurred as she described it. The Superior Court’s decision to allow Mr. Ururyar’s appeal of this verdict and set aside his conviction on grounds related solely to deficiencies in the trial judge’s explanation for his conclusions represent a failure in the system for Ms. Gray.

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May 9, 2017

Loly Rico Announced as the 2017 Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award Recipient

Toronto, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 – The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is proud to announce Loly Rico as the 2017 Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award recipient. Loly is the co-director and founder of FCJ Refugee Centre and an undisputed leader for the rights of refugee women facing violence. The Award, sponsored by Torys LLP, is given annually to a woman whose work is dedicated to improving the lives of women experiencing violence.

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April 3, 2017

Police Officers and Rape Culture: The Silencing of Sexual Assault Survivors

Toronto, April 3, 2017—The Barbra Schlifer Clinic applauds the decision of Ava Williams to launch her constitutional challenge to the London Police Services.

The Clinic has read the statement of claim and supports Ms. Williams and her lawyers in their pursuit of the individual and social remedy for the personal and systemic breach of Charter rights her case represents.

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March 10, 2017

Resignation of Justice Robin Camp: A watershed moment for women survivors of sexual assault

TORONTO, March 10, 2017 —The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre are relieved at the news of Justice Camp’s resignation as a member of the Federal Court of Canada.  As the Front Line Interveners in the disciplinary proceeding representing countless women survivors of sexual assault, we agree with the Canadian Judicial Council’s (CJC) comments that Justice Camp’s conduct was “manifestly and profoundly destructive” to the impartiality and integrity of the bench.

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November 22, 2016

Expressive Arts Therapy Group launches #WeBelieveSurvivors, a Ceramic Art Exhibit by women survivors of violence

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and the Gardiner Museum have partnered for more than a decade to offer women who have survived all forms of violence with an Expressive Arts Therapy Group. Led by art therapist Suzanne Thomson and ceramic artist Jessica Cooper, the Group’s participants will share their work and raise public awareness about violence against women in a sensitive, informed and compelling art exhibit that will open on December 6, 2016, at the Gardiner Museum.

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October 25, 2016

Canada held to account for its disappointing women’s rights record by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Joint Statement by Canadian Civil Society Organizations 

Today Canada’s record of women’s equality is under the spotlight at the United Nations in Geneva. The 65th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women happens at an opportune moment for Canadian women. Canada has a new federal government with a Prime Minister who says he is a feminist, calls for a nation-to-nation relationship, and acknowledges that “poverty is sexist”. We know words matter, but now we need action.

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June 28, 2016

Deepa Mattoo joins Barbra Schlifer Clinic as new Legal Director

With more than 17 years of experience providing direct Human Rights related services as well as public education, social justice and advocacy, Deepa brings a deeply intersectional approach to women’s rights.  She played an instrumental role in successfully influencing immigration policies for extending abuse exception for the conditional permanent residence in sponsorship situation to Forced Marriage Survivors and opposing Bill S7 (Barbaric Cultural Practices).

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May 12, 2016

Barbra Schlifer Clinic awards human rights and migrant labour advocate Fay Faraday as its annual award recipient

On June 9, at the Daniels Spectrum Arts Center in Regent Park, The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic will award Fay Faraday this year’s Torys LLP sponsored Annual Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award.

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