Canada Supreme Court clarifies consent in sexual assault cases

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that trial judges must consider all available evidence, not only a complainant’s testimony, when deciding whether a person had the capacity to consent to sexual activity. The decision in R. v. Rioux clarified how courts should assess capacity and consent in cases involving intoxication, memory loss, or fragmented recollection. The case arose from sexual assault charges against a Quebec man, Mr. Rioux, involving a woman with...