Lewis v Doyle

In Lewis v Doyle, the plaintiff alleged that the defendant, his employer in the 1980s, had sexually assaulted him on several occasions when he was between the ages of 14 and 15. The plaintiff sought compensatory and aggravated damages for the psychiatric and psychological harm suffered as a result of these assaults, which he claimed led to substance addiction. The defendant, however, argued that other factors had contributed to the plaintiff’s injuries, and thus, his actions were not the sole cause of the plaintiff’s lifelong injuries.

The primary legal issue in this case was whether the sexual assaults committed by the defendant were the primary cause of the plaintiff’s injuries, despite other contributing factors. Additionally, the court had to consider the admissibility of the defendant’s previous convictions for similar offences against the plaintiff, under section 91 of the Evidence Act. The court had to balance the relevance of the defendant’s past convictions to prove the pattern of conduct and propensity against the prejudicial effect these admissions might have on the trial.

The court found that the sexual assaults by the defendant were indeed the principal cause of the plaintiff’s lifelong injury. Despite the presence of other contributing factors, the court concluded that the defendant's actions were the predominant cause of the plaintiff's harm. The court also ruled that the defendant's previous convictions for similar offences against the plaintiff were admissible under section 91 of the Evidence Act, as their probative value outweighed any prejudicial effect. Consequently, the court awarded the plaintiff both compensatory and aggravated damages, acknowledging the severe and lasting impact of the defendant’s actions.