I was ecstatic to accept a position as Project Officer with the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) again! This year, I was privileged to take on more responsibilities and opportunities. There are two specific projects that I am eager to share!
R v. Sullivan
The first project is the development of a lesson plan on the R v. Sullivan case. This case involved the controversial decision regarding extreme intoxication as a defence. David Sullivan voluntarily consumed an overdose of Wellbutrin in an attempt to die by suicide. He experienced a state of automatism and attacked his mother. Mr. Sullivan argued that his state of intoxication was so extreme that his actions were involuntary. Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) confirmed Mr. Sullivan’s acquittal, and Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, which prohibited an accused person from using the extreme intoxication defence for violent crimes, was deemed to be unconstitutional.
This case resulted in numerous questions and concerns, especially in regards to how this decision will impact victims and/or survivors who want to report a violent crime like assault, sexual assault, and manslaughter. Unfortunately, there was a lot of misinformation about the R v. Sullivan case and the decision. With the guidance of Jean-Paul Bevilacqua (Program Developer and Legal Education Consultant), I developed a lesson plan suitable for one classroom session (60-90 minutes) with accompanying materials, which can be found here. And, don’t forget about the R v. Sullivan: Extreme Intoxication as a Defence webinar with Stephanie DiGiuseppe, Ruby Shiller Enenajor DiGiuseppe, Barristers and Pam Hrick, Executive Director and General Counsel at LEAF!
This lesson plan is an invaluable resource. Teachers can use this lesson plan to discuss the R v. Sullivan case with students, and engage in discussions about the implications of the decision. Youth may not understand the technical legal terms used in SCC decisions. This leads to misunderstanding, especially in conjunction with the various interpretations in the media. This resource simplifies the decision. The accompanying activities will allow youth to apply their analytical and critical thinking skills to prepare arguments for or against the extreme intoxication defence, as well as consider various hypothetical scenarios in which the extreme intoxication defence may or may not be applicable.
Together 180 at Cecil Facer Youth Centre
The second project is co-facilitating OJEN’s Together 180 (T180) Program at the Cecil Facer Youth Centre (CFYC) in Sudbury, Ontario. CFYC is a secure custody facility for male youth. T180 was facilitated in a hybrid format, with Kassandra Thompson (Together 180 Program Lead) and I in person, and justice sector volunteers joining via Zoom. Together 180 is a pilot justice education program funded by the Department of Justice Canada that uses a collaborative, interactive, dialogue-based approach to identify and build legal life skills to navigate post-custody challenges.
In the past, I co-facilitated the Together 180 Program via Zoom, while Kassandra Thompson co-facilitated in person, but when I was provided with the opportunity to travel to Sudbury, ON, meet with the youth at CFYC, and co-facilitate T180 in person, I could not say no! This was the second time I facilitated a program in person. (My first time was facilitating OJEN’s Navigating Police Encounters (NPE) program to a newcomer youth audience. You can read more about that experience here).
The youth at CFYC were eager to learn. T180 consists of 8 sessions, each session discussing a different area of law. When asked, “What is one thing that you will remember from the T180 Program?” the majority of responses pertained to the importance of keeping good records and that youth do not need to disclose their Youth Record. This information is valuable to youth, especially post-custody. By providing ample information and resources, the hope is that youth are able to navigate any challenges such as renting an apartment and understanding the value of keeping rent receipts and a copy of the Residential Tenancy Agreement, or obtaining employment.
T180 concludes with a discussion where youth meet legal professionals and key stakeholders to share their perspectives and offer their recommendations in relation to rehabilitation and reintegration. Some comments from the youth include:
- “It is nice to learn and it is nice to be able to share stuff… No one ever gets to see our point of view.”
- “This was the first time we got to share what we all want.”
T180 allows youth to share their personal experiences, and provide their perspective on in-custody and post-custody challenges, allowing legal professionals and key stakeholders to either start or stop certain practices in their industry.
To co-facilitate Together 180 at the Cecil Facer Youth Centre was an exhilarating experience!
Crystal Binag