Seeking Justice for Battered Women Who Defend Themselves
Increasingly, our Battered Women's Defence Project is involving significant
effort. CAEFS continues to call on the government of Canada to undertake
a review of the cases of women currently serving federal sentences of up
to life imprisonment for having defended themselves and/or their children
against abusive partners. Although CAEFS believes that existing processes
of review are inadequate to provide relief for the women with whom we are
working, the Minister of Justice has indicated a desire to provide relief
to the women involved. Indeed, Justice staff are currently striving to generate
viable review options.
CAEFS and other national women's groups remain of the view that longer term
change is more likely to be achieved by a broad-based examination of all
of the cases together. We want any review to consider the systemic barriers
typified by the inability of women to avail themselves of legal protection
when they are experiencing, responding to and defending against abuse.
Back to Report Index
Home