Navigating the Legal System with Dr. Mandi Gray and Gillian Hnatiw
In this episode, we talk to lawyer Gillian Hnatiw and feminist academic Dr. Mandi Gray about accessing the criminal and civil legal system. Reporting to the police and going through the legal system is one of many options survivors can choose from. This episode is an opportunity to learn more about the legal process and decide what works for you. Remember: whatever choice you make, it’s your decision.
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Although there are no descriptions of sexual violence in this podcast series, any conversation about sexual violence can bring up big feelings and be hard to hear.
Listen in a way that feels safer for you. You get to choose.
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Putting Trials on Trial: Sexual Assault and the Legal Profession's Failure. Elaine Craig
“I would say that the system is not about you. It's not built for you, it's not designed to recognize your trauma or pain. It's not designed to weigh your evidence in a neutral way. And so don't take on the labels generated by a fixed system; you have to almost disconnect yourself from it. You know what happened to you and you know, the criminal legal system is a system that's designed to weigh evidence in a very particular way that sort of conforms to the rigours of the Constitution and to make findings of guilty or not guilty. ”
-Gillian Hnatiw
About Our Guests
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Dr. Mandi Gray is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary. She recently finished a book titled Liar Lawsuits: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law in Canada that will be released in 2023. Mandi has been a community-based advocate working with women and girls involved in the legal system since 2008. Her experience as a sexual assault complainant and activist shape her academic research. Connect with her on Twitter @gotmysassypants or on her website www.mandigray.com
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Gillian Hnatiw is a feminist lawyer practicing in Toronto. She is an expert in gender-based violence and her law firm, Gillian Hnatiw & Co., specializes in claims arising from sexual, physical and psychological abuse, harassment and assault and well as from the non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate images. Gillian strives to empower her clients through a variety of legal and restorative processes and to center their personal needs and goals.
Gillian is the former Chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), a non-profit legal organization which works to advance gender equality through litigation, law reform and public education. She regularly speaks at conferences and seminars on a wide range of topics. She is frequently sought out by industry and mainstream media for comments on sexual violence, professional regulation and accountability, diversity and gender equality issues.
Learn more at https://www.gillianandco.ca/
