Michael Plaxton | LightNews

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 3d

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...

The Fault Requirement for Sexual Assault

The basic arguments in a nutshell

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 6d

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

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

Deceptive Sex Part Two

On Chloe Kennedy's "Criminalising deceptive sex"

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 8d

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...

Deceptive Sex

Voluntary Agreement & Fraud; Hutchinson & Kirkpatrick

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 15d

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...

Strangeness in Canada's Impaired Driving Offences

Impaired When? Death Caused by What?

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 21d

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...

Looking Back to R v Barton (#2)

Vitiation of Sexual Consent, Judicial Power, & Sexual Ethics

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 29d

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

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

Implied Consent & Sexual Assault: Revisited

Thoughts on My Book, Ten Years Later

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · 29d

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.

Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · Jan 20

Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency in Canada

Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has posted 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…

Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency in Canada

Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has posted 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 ‘struck down’ or ‘nullified’.

legaltheoryblog.com

Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · Jan 20

Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency in Canada

Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has posted 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…

Plaxton on Declarations of Inconsistency in Canada

Michael Plaxton (College of Law, University of Saskatchewan) has posted 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 ‘struck down’ or ‘nullified’.

legaltheoryblog.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · Jan 14

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.

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · Jan 14

My new post on sexual deepfakes and Canadian criminal law.

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

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.

open.substack.com

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · Jan 14

My new post on sexual deepfakes and Canadian criminal law.

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

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.

open.substack.com

Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · Dec 17

"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..."

She was accused of threatening a former Alberta justice minister, others — 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...

www.cbc.ca

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Nov 25

Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases on.ft.com/3LY1Ceq

Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases

Proposed changes unlikely to apply for trials of serious offences such as rape and murder

on.ft.com

Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · Oct 5

Tweet less; research more.

Julie Dickson @jd2711.bsky.social · Sep 21

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

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · Sep 15

Yes.

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · Sep 15

Violence only begets violence. Enduring change comes from building solutions, transforming minds, and cultivating what is good, in the human heart and in the world.

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · Sep 15

Violence only begets violence. Enduring change comes from building solutions, transforming minds, and cultivating what is good, in the human heart and in the world.

Matt Huber @matthuber.bsky.social · Sep 11

I've been profoundly depressed seeing so many leftists either joke about or celebrate the murder of someone for political speech. Glad to see this political clarity from @benburgis.bsky.social and Meagan Day in @jacobinmag.bsky.social.

jacobin.com/2025/09/char...

Eoin Daly @eoinmauricedaly.bsky.social · Sep 9

‘Standpoint epistemology’ - mostly an excuse to talk about yourself

Michael Plaxton @michaelplaxton.bsky.social · Sep 3

Fyi, I've gathered together a bunch of recent X posts on defence of person against home intruders on my Substack.

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

A Collection of X posts on Defence of Person in the Context of Home Intruders

I've been posting quite a bit on X about the law of defence of person in the context of home intruders.

open.substack.com

Jonathan H. Adler @jadler1969.bsky.social · Sep 1

So I wrote a thing about the tariff case:
www.wsj.com/opinion/why-...

Opinion | Why the Supreme Court Could Uphold Trump’s Tariffs

The president’s powers are at their strongest when it comes to foreign policy and national security.

www.wsj.com

Cicada Meth Orgy Fungus @cicadafungus.bsky.social · Aug 20

And it's funny as Twitter isn't doing great either. Their advertising cpm is now payable in-kind in nutritional supplements and shit coins. Where is everyone? Threads? Signal chats? Sitting in the parlor swirling brandy snifters and playing charades?

Jesse Singal @jessesingal.com · Aug 20

The stats suggest Bluesky is dying. I think it is just too plain crazy on here.

Digressionsimpressions @nescio13.bsky.social · Jul 29

I am surprised anti-luminosity about philosophical playerhood is not the default position at DailyNous.

Philippe Lagassé @plagasse.bsky.social · Jul 25

Musings about AI as we head into the fall term.

lagassep.com/2025/07/25/a...

Heather Mallick @hmallick.bsky.social · Jul 25

My column: Why do men accused of sexual crimes so often prefer women lawyers? To hide behind their skirts. Such hearings were always torment for complainants faced with public scorn, extreme cross-examination and vicious misogynists like the late Chris Blatchford www.thestar.com/opinion/star...

Heather Mallick: Why would female lawyers represent men in sexual crimes?

I don’t object to diversity hiring — it has let women, the disabled, and racialized people into workplace once reserved for white men — but you’d think the diverse would

www.thestar.com

Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · Jul 15

Richard Fallon, In Memoriam, buff.ly/6WxLugJ - A tribute to the great scholar and dear friend.

Stephen E. Sachs @stephenesachs.bsky.social · Jul 15

Starting at Harvard College this fall (or know someone who is)?

Want to think through hard moral and political issues?

Look into my first-year seminar on "Abortion in Controversy," Tuesdays, 3-5 pm

stevesachs.com/syllabi/abor...