Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law

How defamation lawsuits against survivors of sexual violence are used as a tool to dissuade victims from coming forward.

Suing for Silence is a groundbreaking examination of how men accused of sexual violence use defamation lawsuits as a weapon to silence those who attempt to hold them accountable. As Mandi Gray demonstrates, Canadian defamation law helps perpetuate the myth that false allegations of sexual violence are common. Gray draws on media reports, courtroom observations, and interviews with silence breakers, activists, and lawyers to examine the societal and individual implications of so-called liar lawsuits. She argues that the purpose of these suits is not to seek justice, but rather to intimidate, silence, and drain the resources of those who speak out against sexual violence and even report their own assaults--and to discourage others from doing the same. This meticulous work reveals the gendered underpinnings of Canadian defamation law, which has long protected men’s reputations at the expense of women’s sexual autonomy.

Mandi Gray is assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Trent University, lecturing in criminology, and an anti-violence activist. She is regularly featured in Canadian media on issues of sexual violence, including in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Life, and on the CBC.