Advocacy Alert
In October, the Government of Canada announced the start of their consultation on HIV criminalization, as Canada finally looks to reform the misguided and harmful law on HIV non-disclosure in this country. This is, we hope, a first step toward concrete action on law reform.
Your participation in the government consultation is crucial. The federal government needs to hear from you about why and what changes to Canada’s discriminatory and unscientific laws are necessary to end the injustice against people living with HIV in this country.
The consultation runs until January 13, 2023, so you still have time to make your voice heard! Tell the government that the law must reflect the science of HIV transmission. Tell them that HIV has no place in the laws of sexual assault. Most of all, tell them that HIV is not a crime.
Have Your Say Now
To help you fill out the consultation survey, the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC) — of which the HIV Legal Network is a founding member — has created a backgrounder document that gives an overview of the state of the law and the key recommendations from the CCRHC’s two Consensus Statements, the first from 2017 and the second from 2022. The backgrounder document features suggested answers to the government’s consultation questions; these can be used as a starting place for your own answers.
If you’ve already filled out the survey, THANK YOU! Your contribution will go a long way toward ensuring a more just society for all. If you haven’t yet, please don’t wait. Tell the Government of Canada that Criminal Code reform is needed to protect the rights of all people living with HIV in this country. We can’t wait.
Complete the Survey Today
In solidarity,
The HIV Legal Network
HIV Legal Network
www.hivlegalnetwork.ca
1240 Bay Street, Suite 600
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2A7
Telephone: +1 416 595-1666