Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Judicial body reviewing complaints against judge

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 02/25/2011 1:48 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 02/25/2011 3:23 PM | Updates

WINNIPEG — A body that investigates judicial misconduct confirmed this afternoon that it will be reviewing complaints against Manitoba Queen's Bench Justice Robert Dewar.

And the province of Manitoba announced it will file a formal complaint about the federal judge with the Canadian Judicial Council.

Related Items

Articles
- Justice Dewar removed from cases of 'sexual nature'
- Rape victim 'inviting,' so no jail

The council, which hears complaints of judicial misconduct, confirmed today that it has already received "several" complaints about the conduct of Dewar.

Jennifer Howard, minister responsible for the status of women, said today she will undertake the action on behalf of the government.

"I feel it's important, and we as a government feel it's important, to send a message to women... who may have been a victim or may be a victim of sexual assault that they should come forward, that they should feel protected by the law...," Howard said in an interview.

in a statement released today, the judicial council said "there have been numerous media reports and public reaction to these comments."

Earlier today more than 100 women and men chanted 'Yes means yes and no means no' and called for the resignation of Dewar at a noon-hour protest in front of the Law Courts Building.

Dewar gave a convicted rapist a conditional sentence last week — instead of jail time — and suggested that the victim's attire and flirtatious behaviour were partly responsible for the attack.

One of the protest organizers, Alanna Makinson of the Canadian Federation of Students lambasted Dewar for commenting on the victim’s attire and suggesting that "sex was in the air" the evening that Kenneth Rhodes forced intercourse on a woman along a highway near Thompson in 2006.

"These statements by Judge Dewar are reinforcing the myth of implied consent and the myth that the victim of sexual assault is ultimately responsible for their own victimization," Makinson said, as the crowd shouted ‘Shame.’

"This ruling has damaged the credibility of Canada’s justice system, and we are calling for an apology for his misguided and irresponsible ruling..." she said.

Makinson said the students federation also plans to file a complaint against Dewar with the Canadian Judicial Council in the coming days.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 2:43 PM CST: Canadian Judicial Council announces it is reviewing complaints.

3:23 PM: Jennifer Howard announces the province will file a formal complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.