Lawyer alleges Durham officers slammed her head into table, dragged her to cells at Oshawa courthouse
Defence lawyer Sudine Riley says she was slammed into a desk, had her headscarf ripped off and was taken to cells in handcuffs. Durham police say they are investigating.
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By Torontoer Staff
Defence lawyer Sudine Riley says she was assaulted by uniformed Durham Regional Police officers working as courthouse security at the Oshawa courthouse last Friday, and was later charged with trespassing. Riley’s lawyer says Riley was cuffed, taken to cells in the courthouse basement, and left with a bleeding head and a swollen eye.
Durham Regional Police confirmed they are investigating an incident that occurred around 5 p.m. at the courthouse and said investigators are working with court services to review the available evidence.
Account from Riley’s legal team
Riley had just finished a trial and was working in an interview room near a courtroom when uniformed officers, acting as courthouse security, challenged her presence, according to a statement from her lawyer, Neha Chugh. Chugh says the officers then assaulted Riley, including slamming her head onto a desk, placing knees in her back and neck, and ripping off her headscarf.
Ms. Riley’s head was then slammed on the desk and officers put knees in her back and neck. She was spoken to with rage, disrespect, and contempt by officers.
Neha Chugh, lawyer for Sudine Riley
Chugh said Riley was forcibly removed from the room, dragged out while handcuffed, and taken to the courthouse cells. The lawyer added that Riley’s skirt was raised during the handling and that she is taking time to rest and heal while she considers her next legal steps.
Charge contested, police say they are investigating
Durham police have said they assigned investigative and oversight resources to fully understand the circumstances and determine whether further action is required. The force did not provide details about how the incident began or why officers challenged Riley’s presence in the interview room.
The allegations arising from this matter are being taken with the utmost seriousness. DRPS has assigned the appropriate investigative and oversight resources to fully understand the circumstances and determine what further actions may be required.
Durham Regional Police Service
Riley was charged with trespassing. Her lawyer says she is contesting the charge and that Riley “committed no offence other than being a Black woman practising law, being diligent about her commitment to the pursuit of justice.”
Calls for assurances from criminal defence community
The incident prompted the advocacy group Women in Canadian Criminal Defence to send a letter to Justice Lara Crawford, the local administrative judge at the Oshawa courthouse, asking for assurances about the safety of lawyers who work there.
WiCCD members are understandably deeply concerned for their own safety in the Oshawa courthouse. Many, if not most, of our members are racialized women who represent accused persons and many of our members do so at that courthouse.
Cassandra DeMelo, president, Women in Canadian Criminal Defence
The organization, which has nearly 800 members across the country, said it had taken the step of contacting the administrative judge directly because of the urgency of members’ concerns. The letter asks the court to outline measures taken to ensure safety for justice system participants at the Oshawa courthouse.
Outstanding questions
- Why officers challenged Riley’s presence in the interview room
- What evidence the police will review as part of their investigation
- Whether court security procedures will be revised in response to the incident
- How the trespass charge will be addressed as legal proceedings continue
Both the defence community and the police are awaiting the results of the internal review. Riley’s legal team has said she is considering next legal steps, and WiCCD has asked the court to provide a formal response to its safety concerns.
The Durham Regional Police investigation and any court or administrative reviews will determine the facts and whether further action is necessary. In the meantime, Riley is recovering from her injuries and preparing for the next stage of the legal process.
DurhamRegionalPoliceOshawaCourthouseSudineRileycourt-securityWiCCD
