On behalf of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Toronto Lawyer Angela Chaisson presented submissions to the Canadian Senate on Bill C-66, the Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act.

The Bill was introduced in November, 2017 as part of the government’s apology for mistreatment of LGBTQ+ Canadians and passed through the House of Commons swiftly with minimal debate. Angela’s submissions to the Senate focused on the narrow list of offences for which a pardon can be obtained.

She stated: “Criminal lawyers know the injustice of having facially neutral laws targeted against specific communities, be they racial, ethnic or sexual. Police may, in fact, prefer to lay charges that are facially neutral because it allows that veneer of neutrality and it allows them to ward off any allegations of homophobia that would otherwise colour the prosecution.”

Angela was delighted to provide submissions to the Senate on this very important Bill.