From the Family Violence Family Law:
Firearms pose a significant risk in situations involving intimate partner violence or gender-based violence. Join the A2A Family Violence Family Law on Thursday, March 12th from 1 – 2:30pm EST for a webinar that will provide legal professionals with an overview of the development, purpose, and practical implications of recently implemented “Red Flag” laws. Register today
“Red Flag” laws aim to enhance protections to address firearm-related harm in cases of gender-based violence by allowing individuals to apply to a court to ask for restrictions on a person’s access to firearms where there are safety concerns. The webinar will trace the legislative history of Bill C-21, leading to the enactment of “Red Flag” laws and other amendments addressing firearm-related harm. Participants will gain an understanding of how “Red Flag” laws operate in practice, including implementation considerations and what is required to effectively achieve their intended objectives.
In this webinar, we review recent cases on coercive control and post-separation family violence. We look at case law considering the direct indirect impacts of family violence on children and take a deep-dive into the “safe” parenting orders that judges are making in the context of family violence.
Registrants will receive an accompanying manual setting out the framework to establish a family violence claim in family court and details on “safe” parenting orders with relevant cases. As well, registrants will receive a link to our online family law bench book.
Learning Objectives
Attendees of this webinar will:
- Understand the background and legislative intent of Bill C-21 and “Red Flag” laws
- Identify how “Red Flag” Laws aim to address gender-based violence firearm harm
- Understand how “Red Flag” laws operate in practice
- Examine potential impacts and implementation challenges
Speakers
- Dr. Carolyn Fraser is a member of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) and a recognized expert in domestic violence prevention and response. Since 2017, she has served at the Ontario Police College (OPC) as the resident subject matter expert on domestic violence, coordinating and delivering specialized investigation training programs, including the Domestic Violence Investigation and Human Trafficking Investigation courses, and providing expertise for basic police recruit training. She also contributed to the development of the Firearms Seizures – In the Interest of Public Safety e-learning course for the Canadian Police Knowledge Network.
- Suzanne Zaccour is the Director of Legal Affairs at the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL). She is a feminist author, researcher and public speaker. She recently completed her doctoral degree in law at Oxford University, focusing on partner sexual violence. Her research interests include sexual and domestic violence, family law, animal rights, and gender and language. Suzanne is the author of La fabrique du viol (Leméac 2019), a book about sexual violence and rape culture, and is finalizing her next book, titled “Why feminists don’t eat animals.“
- Heidi Rathjen graduated from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Following the December 6, 1989 massacre at her university, she chose to dedicate her career to advancing public safety rather than pursuing engineering. In 1990, she co-founded the Coalition for Gun Control with Wendy Cukier and served as its Executive Director until shortly after the adoption of Canada’s Firearms Act in 1995. She continues her advocacy as a volunteer coordinator and spokesperson for PolyRemembers, a movement of survivors, witnesses, and victims’ families supporting stronger gun control, including Quebec’s long-gun registry and key federal legislation such as Bills C-71 and C-21. In 1996, she co-founded the Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac, which has played a central role in major tobacco control laws in Quebec and Canada. For her contributions to public health and safety, Ms. Rathjen has received numerous national and international honors.
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