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Canada; Criminal law; Sexual assault; AIDS (Disease); HIV; Condoms; Criminal responsibility; Health; Sexual intercourse; Non-disclosure; HIV-AIDS status
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The Boundaries Of The Criminal Law: The Criminalization Of The Non-Disclosure Of Hiv, Isabel Grant
The Boundaries Of The Criminal Law: The Criminalization Of The Non-Disclosure Of Hiv, Isabel Grant
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In this paper, the author examines the trend toward the increased criminalization and punishment of persons with HIV who fail to inform their sexual partners of their HIV-positive status. Since the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in R. v. Cuerrier, such behaviour may constitute aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault, the latter offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The paper surveys the Canadian case law and highlights the trend towards the imposition of increasingly harsh sentences. After reviewing public-health and criminal law options for dealing with non-disclosure of one's HIV status, the author concludes that criminal law should …