In Araya v. Canada (Attorney General), Avize’s Raj, Patrick, and Danielle argued in the Federal Court of Canada to certify a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada on behalf of Black inmates in federal prisons across the country who experience systemic discrimination, abuse, and various other forms of racism while incarcerated. Justice Fothergill agreed with the submissions made on behalf of the inmates and certified the matter as a class proceeding in December 2023.
As with all Avize class action lawsuits, this claim was advanced not only to recover compensation for class members but to force institutional and systemic reform within the Correctional Service of Canada to ensure that individuals in federal prisons are no longer subjected to such horrific, dehumanizing, and utterly unacceptable treatment.
Read the full decision here: Araya v. Canada (Attorney General), 2023 FC 1688