CL-100: The Criminal Law Response to Violence Against Women: An Introduction
This online course will provide participants with an increased ability to provide support and advocacy for women who have experienced physical or sexual violence, or criminal harassment, and who are, or are considering becoming involved with the criminal court and/or related systems. These systems include the police, the Crown, victim services such as Victim Witness Assistance Program, legal aid and quasi-legal systems such as professional colleges and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
To register visit http://learning.springtideresources.org
Course Instructor: Pam Cross
Price: $295
Date: Session 1 - Oct. 25 - Nov. 24th or Session 2 - January 17 to February 20, 2011.
Number of spaces are limited, register early to avoid disappointment.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will:
By the end of the course, participants will:Understand and be able to apply information about common criminal court and related processes and systems, including but not limited to: police reports, bail hearings, rape kits, trials and sentencing hearings
Understand common criminal court and related terms and language
Be able to analyze common barriers and challenges faced by women, including structural and systemic barriers within the criminal law and court process, and create strategies with women to address these barriers and challenges
Apply information about local court services and systems to individual women’s cases through advocacy and support
Provide strong advocacy and support for women involved with the criminal court because of violence they have experienced in their personal lives
Participants will be provided with information about criminal law, court processes and services that is relevant to and reflective of the experiences, realities and needs of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence or criminal harassment and who are engaged or may become engaged with the criminal system, whether as a victim/complainant or as an accused in cases of dual or counter charging.
The course will provide an intersectional analysis for the teaching, that acknowledges the very different social locations of women, especially those women who are marginalized for one or more reasons, and the impact this has on their interaction with the legal system and related services and supports.
Legal information provided will be current, accurate and realistic.
The course will make clear the difference between legal information and legal advice and will establish that this information is NOT a replacement for legal advice and representation.
The course is organized into 5 units. Each unit uses different teaching/learning techniques, including video lectures, print resources, self-directed games and quizzes and discussion rooms so participants can share ideas with one another and receive feedback from the instructor, who will moderate online discussion forums.
A new unit will be presented each week, and participants are expected to have completed their involvement with the preceding unit before moving on to the next.
Unit 1: Introduction to criminal law and criminal court
Learning outcomes: Within the VAW context, participants will have a basic familiarity with and understanding of:
Unit 2: Moving through the criminal system
Learning outcomes: Participants will have a working understanding of the steps that must be taken by a woman when the police become involved:
Unit 3: Challenges and barriers for women using the criminal system
Learning outcomes: Participants will be able to support women who encounter the following challenges in their experience of the criminal response to violence against women:
Unit 4: Supporting women in overcoming barriers and challenges:
Learning outcomes: Participants will learn how to support women who are moving through the criminal system:
Unit 5: Criminal-related processes that may arise
Unit 5: Criminal-related processes that may arise
Learning outcomes: Participants will understand and be able to provide basic information to women who choose to access any of the following processes:
Instructor Bio:
Pamela Cross is a feminist lawyer who works in the violence against women sector. She is well known and respected in legal reform circles, particularly for her expertise on family law issues as they relate to violence against women.
Pamela has worked as an educator and trainer on the topic of violence against women and the law for many years. While she was the Legal Director at METRAC, she was responsible for the development of extensive public legal education materials and trainings for frontline workers and for women experiencing violence. She also developed the Ontario Women’s Justice
Network. She was a member of the Management Committee of Family Law Education for Women (FLEW), Ontario’s largest public legal education project about family law for women. She has developed and delivered online courses on family law and violence against women. Pamela is a member of the teaching
faculty with the National Judicial Institute, where she plans and delivers educational programs on violence against women to Canadian judges.
In addition to her online training work with Springtide Resources, Pamela has worked on the development and delivery of educational materials about access to justice for people with communication disabilities. With Luke’s Place Support and Resource Centre, she is leading the development and delivery of online resources and training for frontline workers who support unrepresented women through family court as well as in-person training on the family court process for unrepresented women.
To register visit http://learning.springtideresources.org
Contact Information:
Springtide Resources Learning
[email protected]
http://learning.springtideresources.org