Prosecuting and Defending Offences Against Children, 2nd Edition

Children have a unique status when participating in the criminal justice system. In order to clarify the issues and challenges that arise in these specific circumstances, Prosecuting and Defending Offences Against Children, 2nd Edition breaks down the numerous factors and considerations that legal professionals must be aware of when working on cases where children have been victims of crime. The author and contributor team—composed of Crown, defence, and judiciary—thoroughly examines multiple facets of child abuse, including neglect, sexual abuse, Internet exploitation, physical abuse, and homicide. Additionally, this text considers how children interact with the criminal justice system differently than adults through its exploration of child witness preparation, the special features of children’s evidence, testimonial aids, and sentencing. The second edition covers all recent case law developments and includes additional case law from western and eastern Canada. This edition also contains new chapters that discuss defending clients accused of offences against children, authored by Judge Kasandra Cronin, as well as child forensic interviewing, authored by Sick Kids Hospital social workers: Meredith Kirkland-Burke and Janeen Moddejonge. This practical and procedural guidance is an invaluable resource to anyone seeking a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of how criminal law applies to cases involving the abuse of children