Case summary Watson and Spratt challenged the Access to Abortion Services Act, which creates a no-protest (“bubble”) zone around abortion clinics to allow women access to clinic services free of unwanted approaches by anti-abortion protesters. Watson and Spratt argued that the bubble zone law violated their Charter right to freedom of expression. Watson/Spratt is an extension of the Lewis and Demers cases. In R … Read more Watson v R; Spratt v R [2008]
Read our 2007 Annual Report to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2006/2007 fiscal year. Publications
In April 2007, we released our Court Watch Report from 2005-2006. This report is part of our Family Law Project. Publications
Read our 2006 Annual Report to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2005/2006 fiscal year. Publications
In July 2005, we began the Women’s Equality and Religious Freedom report, which included three phases: a preliminary consultation, advisory committee discussions, and a consultation phase with Vancouver-based faith communities. Each phase included a report: Women’s Equality and Religious Freedom report Phase 1, Women’s Equality and Religious Freedom report Phase 2, and Women’s Equality and … Read more Women’s Equality and Religious Freedom Report
Case summary This case was about whether freedom of expression should be contained in order to guarantee the right to unimpeded access to abortion services. West Coast LEAF’s involvement In 2003, West Coast LEAF intervened in this case, as a member of a coalition, and argued that freedom of expression should be contained in order … Read more R v Demers [2003]
Case summary Eldridge concerns the issue of the availability of publicly funded sign language interpreters to deaf people in the course of receiving medical care. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the failure of BC’s medicare legislation to cover the costs of such interpretation amounts to discrimination. This argument had been unsuccessful so far … Read more Eldridge et al v AG BC et al [1997]
Case summary The scope of the Coalition’s (including LEAF, the Elizabeth Bagshaw Society, Every Woman’s Health Centre Society (1988), the BC Women’s CARE Program, and the BC Coalition for Abortion Clinics) intervention was to make submissions under section 1 of the Charter as to why the Access to Abortion Services Act, which creates access zones around abortion clinics and the homes of abortion service … Read more R v Lewis [1996]
Case summary This case was about two midwives who were convicted of criminal negligence causing bodily harm to a birthing mother due to the death of the unborn child. The case raised the issue of the legal status of the fetus. West Coast LEAF’s involvement LEAF intervened at the Supreme Court of Canada with an argument … Read more R v Sullivan [1991]