some of the cases the women's legal education and action fund have intervened in proved to be controversial. these include the acquittal of bassam al rawi, and the case of nicole patricia ryan, also known as nicole doucet ryan, who was arrested after attempting to hire an undercover royal canadian mounted police officer as a hit man to kill her husband. the defense claimed she was under duress due to an abusive relationship in which the rcmp had ignored her requests for help. neither the rcmp nor the husband was called to testify against her accusations, however both refuted her claims.