Posted: Mar 11, 2021 8:14 PM AT | Last Updated: March 12
Sara Tessier is the named plaintiff in the case.(CBC)
A Halifax law firm has launched a lawsuit against the federal attorney general, alleging justice officials have failed to protect women in federal prisons from sexual assault at the hands of prison staff.
Former inmate Sara Tessier is the named plaintiff in the case, which the firm Valent Law hopes to get certified as a class action.
"The reason why I put my name to this as the lead representative in the case is because I've witnessed first hand and through my experience the violations of the charter of freedom and rights and the lack of accountability on CSC's [Correctional Service of Canada] part to first take these allegations serious, act upon them and rectify the situation," Tessier said Thursday.