Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alexandar Formenton, Dillon Dubé, Callan Foote are shown in court in a courtroom sketch made in London, Ont., on April 23, 2025.Alexandra Newbould/The Canadian Press
07/24/25 09:00Scene at the London courthouse this morning
– Robyn Doolittle
The scene at the London, Ont. courthouse in the early morning on the day of the Hockey Canada verdict, July 24, 2025.Robyn Doolittle/The Globe and Mail
This was the scene at the London Superior courthouse Thursday morning. Reporters and court watchers started lining up at 6:15 a.m. Justice Maria Carroccia is expected to begin delivering her verdict at 10 a.m.
07/24/25 08:30
– Robyn Doolittle
Good morning everyone. I’m Robyn Doolittle, a reporter with The Globe who focuses on investigations and law. I’ve been covering the Hockey Canada scandal since it first broke, and I’ve been covering the trial in London, Ont. I’m back at the courthouse this morning, awaiting Justice Carroccia’s verdict.
07/24/25 08:30
– Claire McFarlane
Hi! I’m Claire McFarlane and I’m a general assignment reporter. I’m in Toronto today, speaking with advocates and people who support survivors of sexual violence about the verdict.
07/24/25 08:30
– Colin Freeze
I’m Colin Freeze and I cover crime, courts and security issues. I’m in the London courthouse today to cover the verdict.
07/24/25 08:30
– David Ebner
Hi I’m David Ebner and I cover the justice beat. I report on the Supreme Court of Canada and a wide range of legal cases/issues.
I’m based in Vancouver and on Thursday morning, watching the verdict online, I’m looking at the legal question of consent and the “consent videos” that were argued over at trial – listening for how Justice Maria Carroccia weighed and assessed these key elements of the case.
07/24/25 08:30
– Sophia Coppolino
Hi, I’m Sophia, and I’m a Globe reporter covering crime this summer. I’m outside the courthouse in London, keeping an eye on the crowds, including protests organized by supporters of sexual assault survivors, as the verdict is delivered today.
07/24/25 08:30
– Simon Houpt
Hi, I’m Simon Houpt and I’ve helped to cover the Hockey Canada file since it broke three years ago. I’m in Toronto, and I’m working the phones today with my sports colleague Marty Klinkenberg to gauge the reaction to the verdict by the NHL and the broader hockey world.
07/24/25 08:30How the Hockey Canada verdict could break new ground on sexual consent
– Sean Fine
Today’s verdict could break new ground on the question of what constitutes voluntary consent, in cases of an apparent power imbalance – in this instance, multiple men in a hotel room with an intoxicated woman most of them had never met.
The trial has given a rare national profile to how the criminal-justice system addresses sexual assault. Front and centre is the issue of consent, and the “honest but mistaken belief” defence that has been diminishing over the past several years.
In Canadian law, consent is not just the absence of a “no,” but requires an affirmation – a yes, in words or conduct. But what about when there is a yes, in circumstances in which an individual might not see a way out?
Justice Maria Carroccia must decide whether E.M. was just “going along to get along,” said Toronto lawyer David Butt, who was not involved in the case. And if so, did she induce an honest belief in the men, even if a mistaken one, that she was consenting?
Read more about what the verdict could mean for consent law in Canada.
07/24/25 08:30Who is Justice Maria Carroccia, the judge deciding the case?
– David Ebner, Globe staff
Justice Maria Carroccia grew up in Windsor, Ont., born to Italian immigrants and the oldest of four children. Her father, Angelo, came to Canada in 1954 and worked as a construction crane operator. Her mother, Assunta, was a homemaker.
Her parents, who didn’t finish grade school, encouraged her education and she graduated in 1987 from the University of Windsor law school. Justice Carroccia worked for decades as a criminal-defence lawyer in Windsor before she was appointed as a judge to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2020. In her five years as a judge, Justice Carroccia has overseen high-profile and complex cases, from murders to sexual assault trials. She is married, and has two daughters.
Justice Carroccia’s work during the Hockey Canada trial focused on the nuances of sexual-assault law and what constitutes consent. Today, many people in the legal profession and across Canada will be listening to her every word.
Read more about the judge deciding the case here.
07/24/25 08:30What you need to know about the Hockey Canada trial before today’s verdict
– Globe staff
Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team are awaiting the verdict in their sexual assault trial today. All of the men have pleaded not guilty and mounted vigorous defences in court.
The case has spanned more than seven years, from two police investigations, a civil settlement, parliamentary hearings and independent probes by Hockey Canada and the NHL, to a tumultuous and intense weeks-long trial this spring plagued early on by disruptions.
As you await the verdict, follow our guide to catch up on the case that has put Canada’s legal system – and the country’s beloved game – under the microscope.
What to know about the Hockey Canada trial ahead of the verdict.
07/24/25 08:30What time is the verdict expected?
– Globe staff
Justice Maria Carroccia is scheduled to deliver her verdict after 10 a.m. ET in the same courtroom in London, Ont., where she heard the case. This date was set in mid-June.