Canadian Scientists Take Important Stand: Criminal Law Currently Goes Too Far in Prosecuting HIV Non-Disclosure – Human rights organizations applaud expert consensus statement.
More than 70 scientific experts Canada-wide released an important consensus statement outlining the low-to-zero possibility of a person living with HIV transmitting the virus in various situations. The statement was developed out of a concern that “a poor appreciation of the scientific understanding of HIV and its transmission” is contributing to the overly broad use of criminal charges against people for alleged non-disclosure of HIV status.
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO), la Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le VIH/sida (COCQ-SIDA) and the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure applaud this consensus statement.
For more information, please see:
- Joint statement of Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO), la Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le VIH/sida (COCQ-SIDA) and the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure (pdf):
- “Canadian consensus statement on HIV and its transmission in the context of criminal law” in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology on the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network website: www.aidslaw.ca/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Canadian-statement1.pdf.
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