Courts
Prosecution appealing acquittal of taxi driver in sex assault case
Judge Gregory Lenehan found Bassam Al-Rawi not guilty on March 1
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The trial of Al-Rawi was held at Halifax Provincial Court on Spring Garden Road
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The trial of Bassam Al-Rawi was held at Halifax Provincial Court on Spring Garden Road.Nova Scotia’s Public Prosecution Service says it will be appealing the March 1 sexual assault acquittal of Bassam Al-Rawi, a Halifax taxi driver.
Al-Rawi was charged with sexual assault in May 2015, following an incident in his taxi involving a female passenger.
Following a trial in Halifax, provincial court Judge Gregory Lenehan found the accused not guilty, citing the Crown’s failure to prove the complainant’s lack of consent.
“We have conducted a legal analysis of the judge’s decision and have concluded there is a solid basis to appeal the ruling,” Denise Smith, deputy director of public prosecutions, said in a news release Tuesday.
The prosecution service cites seven grounds for the appeal, including that Lenehan speculated on the issue of consent rather than drawing on the facts.
A notice has been filed with the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
Lenehan has faced public scrutiny over his decision. A protest is planned for Tuesday afternoon at Grand Parade in downtown Halifax.
