{"id":329,"date":"2015-10-29T08:44:01","date_gmt":"2015-10-29T12:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/?p=329"},"modified":"2015-10-29T09:04:01","modified_gmt":"2015-10-29T13:04:01","slug":"ontario-a-move-to-abolish-limitation-period-for-sexual-assault-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/?p=329","title":{"rendered":"Ontario: Possible removal of limitation periods for sexual assault"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ontario\u00a0is moving to abolish the limitation period for civil claims based on sexual assault and, in certain cases, non-sexual assault.<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/jsapi?key=ABQIAAAAVFcmbiaAb1hz6saeRcQ9ghRqwPJBzyQ2wS5DRNCItpl672yE5RSVv9SWfl6NpO0TtVucW-RVuTFGQw\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/ajax.googleapis.com\/ajax\/libs\/jquery\/1.7.2\/jquery.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/AC_RunActiveContent.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/strip-styleattributes.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/jquery.tablesorter.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><!-- [if IE 7]>\n\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"screen\" href=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/css\/ie7.css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE 8]>\n\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"screen\" href=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/css\/ie8.css\" \/>\n<![endif]--><script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-2412076-1', 'ontla.on.ca'); ga('send', 'pageview');\n\/\/ ]]><\/script>Tracy MacCharles, the Minister Responsible\u00a0<span class=\"pSponsor\"><span class=\"pSponsorRole\">for Women&#8217;s Issues,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>introduced\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontla.on.ca\/web\/bills\/bills_detail.do?locale=en&amp;BillID=3535&amp;detailPage=bills_detail_the_bill\" target=\"_blank\">Bill 132, Sexual <\/a><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontla.on.ca\/web\/bills\/bills_detail.do?locale=en&amp;BillID=3535&amp;detailPage=bills_detail_the_bill\" target=\"_blank\">Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment)<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>for first reading on October 27, 2015. \u00a0It was accepted for further debate.<\/p>\n<div id=\"page\"><\/div>\n<p>The\u00a0act would repeal all existing provisions in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/02l24\" target=\"_blank\">Limitations Act<\/a> relating to sexual assault\u00a0(primarily section 10), and add the following to section 16, which lists proceedings\u00a0that have no limitation period:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><script src=\"\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/jsapi?key=ABQIAAAAVFcmbiaAb1hz6saeRcQ9ghRqwPJBzyQ2wS5DRNCItpl672yE5RSVv9SWfl6NpO0TtVucW-RVuTFGQw\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/ajax.googleapis.com\/ajax\/libs\/jquery\/1.7.2\/jquery.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/AC_RunActiveContent.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/strip-styleattributes.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/js\/jquery.tablesorter.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><!-- [if IE 7]>\n\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"screen\" href=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/css\/ie7.css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE 8]>\n\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"screen\" href=\"\/site-resources\/resource-files\/css\/ie8.css\" \/>\n<![endif]--><script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-2412076-1', 'ontla.on.ca'); ga('send', 'pageview');\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Clause 16 (1) (h) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"page\">\n<div id=\"contentArea\">\n<div id=\"console\">\n<div class=\"tabdetail\">\n<div id=\"tidyout\">\n<div class=\"WordSection1\">\n<p class=\"clause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0 (h)\u00a0 a proceeding based on a sexual assault;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"clause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">(h.1) a proceeding based on any other misconduct of a sexual nature if, at the time of the misconduct, the person with the claim was a minor or any of the following applied with respect to the relationship between the person with the claim and a person who committed, contributed to, consented to or acquiesced in the misconduct:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"subclause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (i)\u00a0 the other person had charge of the person with the claim,<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"subclause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (ii)\u00a0 the other person was in a position of trust or authority in relation to the person with the claim,<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"subclause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (iii)\u00a0 the person with the claim was financially, emotionally, physically or otherwise dependent on the other person;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"clause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">(h.2) a proceeding based on an assault if, at the time of the assault, the person with the claim was a minor or any of the following applied with respect to the relationship between the person with the claim and a person who committed, contributed to, consented to or acquiesced in the assault:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"subclause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (i)\u00a0 they had an intimate relationship,<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"subclause-e clearMSstyles\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (ii)\u00a0 the person with the claim was financially, emotionally, physically or otherwise dependent on the other person;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>What&#8217;s most interesting, at least at this preliminary stage, is section 16(1)(h)(2). \u00a0The category of people in an intimate relationship that involves financial, emotional, physical, or other dependence is\u00a0very broad. \u00a0Unless &#8220;dependence&#8221; is given a narrow\u00a0meaning, it&#8217;s a category that could in theory include every romantic relationship.<\/p>\n<p>You can follow the bill&#8217;s progress <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontla.on.ca\/web\/bills\/bills_detail.do?locale=en&amp;BillID=3535&amp;detailPage=bills_detail_status\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"page\">\n<div id=\"contentArea\">\n<div id=\"console\">\n<div class=\"tabdetail\">\n<div id=\"tidyout\">\n<div class=\"WordSection1\">\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/queenspark\/2015\/10\/27\/new-ontario-law-targets-sexual-violence-harassment-in-workplaces-schools.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Toronto Star published\u00a0an article<\/a> describing what\u00a0the government intends the legislation\u00a0to accomplish.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ontario\u00a0is moving to abolish the limitation period for civil claims based on sexual assault and, in certain cases, non-sexual assault. Tracy MacCharles, the Minister Responsible\u00a0for Women&#8217;s Issues,\u00a0introduced\u00a0Bill 132, Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment)\u00a0for first reading on October 27, 2015. \u00a0It was accepted for further debate. &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/?p=329\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Ontario: Possible removal of limitation periods for sexual assault<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[167,168,138,169],"class_list":["post-329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ontario","tag-limitations-in-the-news","tag-ontario-act-s-10","tag-ontario-act-s-161h","tag-the-legislative-process"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=329"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":336,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions\/336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/limitations.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}