The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal reduced Cope’s original sentence, but Crown attorney Erica Koresawa took the case to the supreme court. A 2019 amendment to the Criminal Code required courts to give “primary consideration” to deterring violence against Indigenous women — a response to the recommendations of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. First Nations, Métis and Inuit women and girls are also six times more likely to be killed than non-Indigenous women and girls. Mesher believes this Supreme Court case could also affect the way Gladue reports are delivered. Looking outside the courtroomEven as a lawyer, Iqaluit’s Anne Crawford doesn’t believe changes in the judicial process will adequately protect Indigenous women.

Source: CBC News December 23, 2025 04:20 UTC