York Regional Police (YRP) will not be proceeding with criminal charges against Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officers following an investigation into the arrest and alleged assault of a lawyer at the Oshawa courthouse earlier this year.
According to a statement from YRP on Wednesday, investigators concluded there were “no reasonable grounds” to support criminal charges against any of the officers involved.
The case stems from a Jan. 23 incident, when Sudine Riley, a Black criminal defence lawyer, was working late in a courthouse interview room following a trial.
According to a press release issued by her counsel at the time, uniformed DRPS officers challenged her presence in the room before the interaction turned violent.
Riley alleged that officers slammed her head onto a desk, placed knees in her back and neck and spoke to her with “rage, disrespect and contempt.”
She said she was subsequently handcuffed and taken to the basement cells. The allegations included claims that her headscarf was ripped off and her skirt was raised during the struggle, which left her bloodied and swollen.
Riley was initially arrested and charged under the Trespass to Property Act.
She said she was issued a trespass notice ten minutes after the courthouse had closed.
The incident sparked immediate outcry from legal advocacy groups, including the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and the Black Action Defence Committee, both of which called for an independent investigation.
While Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit initially declined to invoke its mandate, DRPS formally referred the criminal portion of the investigation to York Regional Police in late January to ensure impartiality.
In a statement, DRPS stated it remains “committed” to transparency and maintaining public confidence in court security.
CBC News has reached out to Riley’s lawyer and several lawyer associations for comment.
DRPS said the matter has now been referred to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency to independently assess whether any misconduct occurred during the interaction.
