Anger and outrage are growing in the wake of the acquittal of Halifax taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi, who was charged with sexually assaulting a female passenger in his cab, with some calling for the removal of the trial judge.
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Two protests are planned next week in Halifax to press for a review of the ruling by Judge Gregory Lenehan, with organizers also calling for him to be ousted.
She said she organized the protest because her own reaction to the verdict.
“I needed an outlet for my anger and I wanted to find people who needed an outlet for theirs as well,” Dodsworth said.
Chelsea Fougere also organized a protest of her own, calling her event more of a “cathartic ceremony.”
“I think it’s really important to have multiple events and make it clear we’re not going to let this rest,” Fougere said.
“This case is quintessential of why people don’t come forward.”
“It seemed like a lot of people wanted to write a letter, but we all had different bits of information. So I was thinking, if we’re all going to write letters, if we get together and share what we know, I think the letters would be a lot more powerful,” MacIntyre said.
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“It also holds people accountable. A lot of people get enraged that day and don’t actually write that letter. I think if we sit down as a group and discuss the case, discuss the judge, discuss his track record, there’ll be a lot more letters showing up to the Chief Justice.”
In his ruling Wednesday, first reported by Metro Halifax, Lenehan said the Crown didn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant didn’t consent to sexual activity with Al-Rawi.
“A drunk can consent,” Lenehan said as part of his ruling.
Al-Rawi was charged after a Halifax Regional Police officer found the young woman passed out, naked from the breasts down in the back seat of his cab.
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The decision has sparked a wave of backlash, as well as a renewed discussion around intoxication and consent and sexual assault.
“Absolute best-case scenario – resignation,” MacIntyre said. “I don’t know if that will happen, but at the very least he should never handle a case involving sexual assault again. I don’t think he’s fit to make those kinds of decisions regarding people’s lives.”
Complaint process underway
The Nova Scotia Chief Justice’s office has received complaints regarding Lenehan, one of which constitutes an official complaint, according to spokesperson Jennifer Stairs. She would not elaborate on the number or nature of those complaints.
Anyone who is unhappy with the judge’s conduct and wants to file an official complaint must follow the Provincial Court Act.
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The Crown has 30 days to file an appeal of the ruling, and according to Public Prosecution Service spokesperson Chris Hansen, lawyers are reviewing the decision to see if they have grounds for appeal.
Nova Scotia’s Chief Judge, Pamela Williams, intends to recuse herself from hearing any complaints that may be filed on the decision, citing a personal conflict, Stairs said.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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