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Michael Plaxton

@michaelplaxton

Law professor. Books: Implied Consent & Sexual Assault; Sovereignty, Restraint, & Guidance; The Tenth Justice (w/ Carissima Mathen).

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20.03.2025
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Latest posts by Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton

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Kruk and Common Sense Last week, my Sexual Assault class considered the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Kruk. The decision is especially interesting and important for its discussion of myths and stereotypes; and their rel...

Latest on Substack: my first of two posts on the Supreme Court of Canada's 2024 decision in Kruk. On common sense, myths and stereotypes, and appellate review. Second will be posted tomorrow.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

07.03.2026 19:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Kruk Doesn't Say On the Judicial Role and Judicial Notice

My second of two posts on the Supreme Court of Canada's 2024 decision in Kruk. On what the decision conspicuously doesn't say about the role of the trial judge and (relatedly) judicial notice. Comments and thoughts welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

08.03.2026 13:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Kruk Doesn't Say On the Judicial Role and Judicial Notice

My second of two posts on the Supreme Court of Canada's 2024 decision in Kruk. On what the decision conspicuously doesn't say about the role of the trial judge and (relatedly) judicial notice. Comments and thoughts welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

08.03.2026 13:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Kruk and Common Sense Last week, my Sexual Assault class considered the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Kruk. The decision is especially interesting and important for its discussion of myths and stereotypes; and their rel...

Latest on Substack: my first of two posts on the Supreme Court of Canada's 2024 decision in Kruk. On common sense, myths and stereotypes, and appellate review. Second will be posted tomorrow.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

07.03.2026 19:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Happened in Rioux? Capacity, Intoxication, and a Tentative Proposal for Reform

New Substack post on the 2025 SCC decision in Rioux. Incapacity by intoxication, the evidentiary challenges of disproving subjective consent and incapacity when the complainant has significant memory issues; and a (perhaps controversial) proposal for reform.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

25.02.2026 13:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Happened in Rioux? Capacity, Intoxication, and a Tentative Proposal for Reform

New Substack post on the 2025 SCC decision in Rioux. Incapacity by intoxication, the evidentiary challenges of disproving subjective consent and incapacity when the complainant has significant memory issues; and a (perhaps controversial) proposal for reform.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

25.02.2026 13:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Resuscitating the Living Tree A Note on Taylor

New Substack post: on the majority decision in Taylor and its vigorous reassertion of living tree-ism.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

24.02.2026 18:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Resuscitating the Living Tree A Note on Taylor

New Substack post: on the majority decision in Taylor and its vigorous reassertion of living tree-ism.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

24.02.2026 18:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The Fault Requirement for Sexual Assault The basic arguments in a nutshell

New post: On the much-disputed fault requirement for sexual assault. An issue to finally be resolved by the Supreme Court of Canada this year. Comments welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

16.02.2026 15:17 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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The Fault Requirement for Sexual Assault The basic arguments in a nutshell

New post: On the much-disputed fault requirement for sexual assault. An issue to finally be resolved by the Supreme Court of Canada this year. Comments welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

16.02.2026 15:17 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Deceptive Sex Part Two On Chloe Kennedy's "Criminalising deceptive sex"

My second post on sexual deception, focusing on Chloe Kennedy's paper, "Criminalising deceptive sex". Comments welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

13.02.2026 16:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Deceptive Sex Part Two On Chloe Kennedy's "Criminalising deceptive sex"

My second post on sexual deception, focusing on Chloe Kennedy's paper, "Criminalising deceptive sex". Comments welcome.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

13.02.2026 16:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Deceptive Sex Voluntary Agreement & Fraud; Hutchinson & Kirkpatrick

New Substack post. On the problems of having two discrete Code provisions that implicate sexual deception; and the difficulties that the Supreme Court has encountered in working out what deception means for "voluntary agreement".

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

11.02.2026 23:50 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Deceptive Sex Voluntary Agreement & Fraud; Hutchinson & Kirkpatrick

New Substack post. On the problems of having two discrete Code provisions that implicate sexual deception; and the difficulties that the Supreme Court has encountered in working out what deception means for "voluntary agreement".

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

11.02.2026 23:50 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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11.02.2026 23:13 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Strangeness in Canada's Impaired Driving Offences Impaired When? Death Caused by What?

My new Substack post, in which I reflect on two (perhaps conjoined) oddities about Canada's impaired driving offences. Comments and suggestions very welcome!

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

04.02.2026 21:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Looking Back to R v Barton (#2) Vitiation of Sexual Consent, Judicial Power, & Sexual Ethics

My latest Substack long-read on the Alberta Court of Appeal's 2024 ruling in Barton. On vitiation of sexual consent, the judicial power to expand crimes, objective fault, and whether a focus on subjective consent is altogether a good thing.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

29.01.2026 13:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Looking Back to R v Barton (#2) Vitiation of Sexual Consent, Judicial Power, & Sexual Ethics

My latest Substack long-read on the Alberta Court of Appeal's 2024 ruling in Barton. On vitiation of sexual consent, the judicial power to expand crimes, objective fault, and whether a focus on subjective consent is altogether a good thing.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

29.01.2026 13:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Comments and suggestions on this paper much appreciated. I still have to update it to reflect comments in Senneville, but very much interested in hearing what folks think.

Many thanks to @lsolum.bsky.social for sharing my paper.

21.01.2026 13:02 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Implied Consent & Sexual Assault: Revisited Thoughts on My Book, Ten Years Later

Some reflections on my book, Implied Consent & Sexual Assault, ten years later.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

22.01.2026 00:03 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Implied Consent & Sexual Assault: Revisited Thoughts on My Book, Ten Years Later

Some reflections on my book, Implied Consent & Sexual Assault, ten years later.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

22.01.2026 00:03 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Comments and suggestions on this paper much appreciated. I still have to update it to reflect comments in Senneville, but very much interested in hearing what folks think.

Many thanks to @lsolum.bsky.social for sharing my paper.

21.01.2026 13:02 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency inΒ Canada Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has postedΒ Declarations of Inconsistency, Guidance, and Canadian Statute Books on SSRN. Here is the abstract: When a court declares that a statutory provision or scheme is unconstitutional, what has it done? It is commonly said, in both the United States and Canada, that the legislation in issue has been β€˜struck down’ or β€˜nullified’.

Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency inΒ Canada

Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has postedΒ Declarations of Inconsistency, Guidance, and Canadian Statute Books on SSRN. Here is the abstract: When a court declares that a statutory provision or scheme is…

20.01.2026 00:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

In which I discuss the current Criminal Code offences that could conceivably be used to address sexual deepfakes and deep nudes, and the scope of the "new" offence in Bill C-16.

14.01.2026 22:34 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

In which I discuss the current Criminal Code offences that could conceivably be used to address sexual deepfakes and deep nudes, and the scope of the "new" offence in Bill C-16.

14.01.2026 22:34 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Grok, Deepfakes, and Bill C-16 According to widespread reports, Grok - X’s AI chatbot - has been used to produce thousands of nude and sexually suggestive depictions of women and children.

My new post on sexual deepfakes and Canadian criminal law.

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp...

14.01.2026 19:12 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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She was accused of threatening a former Alberta justice minister, others β€” until a spoofed email came to light | CBC News A Calgary woman accused of sending five emails that threatened former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis, his mother and several of his friends has seen those charges dropped after evidence was r...

"A Calgary woman accused of sending five emails that threatened former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis, his mother and several of his friends has seen those charges dropped after evidence was revealed in court that one of the emails was sent through an email-spoofing website..."

17.12.2025 15:52 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4

Devlin (1966) β€œThe lamp that shows that freedom lives”

Darbyshire (1991) β€œThe lamp that shows that freedom lives - is it worth the candle?”

Lammy (2025) β€œsomeone who is good at the economy please help me budget these candles. my state capacity is dying”

25.11.2025 17:57 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Tweet less; research more.

05.10.2025 16:20 πŸ‘ 834 πŸ” 77 πŸ’¬ 23 πŸ“Œ 10
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Another shot of an avocet in a rainbow, @rspb.bsky.social RSPB Titchwell Marsh @rspbtitchwellsnett.bsky.social , Norfolk, Saturday 13th September. With @richard013.bsky.social #UKBirding

21.09.2025 22:43 πŸ‘ 71 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0