Author Archives: Deanne Sowter

About Deanne Sowter

Deanne Sowter is a doctoral candidate and Vanier Scholar at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is also a Research Fellow with the Winkler Institute for Dispute Resolution. Deanne’s research focuses on family law, gender-based violence, and legal ethics, and it has been supported by SSHRC and several prestigious fellowships and scholarships including the Honourable Willard Z Estey Teaching Fellowship and the OBA Foundation Chief Justice of Ontario Fellowship in Legal Ethics and Professionalism Studies. Deanne’s work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including the Dalhousie Law Journal, the Canadian Bar Review, and the UBC Law Review, and it has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada. She taught as an Instructor at the University of Calgary and as an Adjunct Professor at Western Law. Deanne has a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, an LLM from the University of Toronto, and is a collaboratively-trained family lawyer.

BC Court of Appeal Recognizes the Myth of False Allegations of Intimate Partner Violence

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Deanne Sowter

By: Deanne Sowter and Jennifer Koshan Case Commented On: KMN v SZM, 2024 BCCA 70 (CanLII), overturning 2023 BCSC 940 (CanLII) PDF Version: BC Court of Appeal Recognizes the Myth of False Allegations of Intimate Partner Violence We have both … Continue reading →

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Torts and Family Violence: Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Deanne Sowter

By: Jennifer Koshan and Deanne Sowter Case Commented On: Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia, 2022 ONSC 1303 (Can LII); 2023 ONCA 476 (CanLII) PDF Version: Torts and Family Violence: Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia Intimate partner violence (IPV) takes many forms, all of which … Continue reading →

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Judging Family Violence: Recommendations for Judicial Practices and Guidelines in Family Violence Cases

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Deanne Sowter

By: Deanne Sowter and Jennifer Koshan PDF Version: Judging Family Violence: Recommendations for Judicial Practices and Guidelines in Family Violence Cases There have been some recent legal developments that compel us to consider the role and responsibilities of judges in … Continue reading →

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Mediation: A Warning Not to Bully a Client into Settlement

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Deanne Sowter

By: Deanne Sowter  PDF Version: Mediation: A Warning Not to Bully a Client into Settlement Case Commented On: Raichura v Jones, 2020 ABQB 139 If a lawyer fails to prepare his client for mediation, and bullies her into a settlement, a … Continue reading →

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A Family Lawyer’s Role is (Not) to Minimize Conflict

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Deanne Sowter

By: Deanne Sowter PDF Version: A Family Lawyer’s Role is (Not) to Minimize Conflict Do family law lawyers have an obligation to minimize conflict? It seems obvious that given the stakes involved in family law matters, especially where there is … Continue reading →

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