A judge is urging disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, or his representative, to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Dec. 15 to respond to a sexual assault lawsuit filed by an unnamed Toronto actress.

“It is pretty important that counsel attend on that occasion on his behalf,” Ontario Superior Court Justice Todd Archibald said Friday.

At the very least, Weinstein or his representative should contact the woman’s lawyers as the next step in the litigation process, Archibald said.

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Powerful men continue to be accused of sexual harassment and assaults, and have been responding by accepting, hedging or dodging the allegations. (The New York Times)

The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, has launched $14 million lawsuit against Weinstein and others for two sexual assaults that allegedly occurred in Toronto in 2000, according to documents filed in court.

Also named is Miramax film company, the Walt Disney Company and Weinstein’s former assistant, Barbara Schneeweiss, who is accused of facilitating the assaults.

At the time of the alleged assaults, Weinstein was co-chairman of Miramax, which was then owned by Disney.

At the last hearing, Jane Doe’s lawyers said they had been unable to serve Weinstein and Schneeweiss with a statement of claim so the judge allowed them to use “substituted service.”

The documents have now been successfully served on those parties and their representatives, Alex Smith, one of Jane Doe’s lawyers, confirmed to the court.

Lawyers for Miramax and Schneeweiss did appear in court Friday and agreed to file their statements of defence by Jan. 19.

Smith said while the Walt Disney Company has “commented on the litigation in the press,” the company has not formally responded to the litigation.

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He also noted that while Weinstein has “found time to issue a statement” about his resignation from the Directors Guild of America, “we are not hearing from Mr. Weinstein,” Smith told the judge.

Smith submitted a USA Today article to the court containing Weinstein’s DGA comment.

Smith told Archibald the plaintiff recently began sexual assault counselling.