Access to Justice
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July 11, 2024
Minimum security | David Dorson
After 100 days in high-security prisons, arriving at a minimum-security prison felt great. Indeed, for a day or so, it hardly felt like a prison at all — though that feeling did not last long.
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July 11, 2024
Murder appeal case considers probative value of video, judge’s commentary
Nineteen-year-old Kamar McIntosh of Brampton was shot at a Popeye’s restaurant in Mississauga, Ont., on April 27, 2017. He was rushed to hospital, where he died of his injuries. By May, Peel Regional Police named two suspects seen leaving the scene of the shooting, Thulani Chizanga, 19, of Mississauga and Shamar Lawson Meredith, 18, of no fixed address.
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July 10, 2024
Court certifies class action against federal practice of holding immigration detainees in prisons
The Ontario Superior Court has certified a class action against the federal government over the use of provincial prisons to hold immigration detainees between 2016 and 2023.
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July 10, 2024
Post-sentencing Code change results in successful appeal in animal rights case
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights organization, asked a troubling question: “Have you ever wondered how someone can be moved to tears by a news story about an abused dog yet feel no remorse over eating a bucket of chicken wings that caused multiple birds to suffer and die?”
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July 10, 2024
When the defendant is an ice cream store
The concept of a corporation as a legal entity is far from simplistic. The principle of deterrence, which has a limited impact on individuals, can be a powerful tool for ensuring compliance in the complex world of businesses and government agencies.
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July 09, 2024
Alberta Court of Appeal decision weighs victim’s behaviour in decreasing sentence
On the evening of Jan. 6, 2020, 18-year-old Courtney Engelina Gruninger became yet another drunk driving statistic, the Lethbridge Herald reported on March 8, 2023.
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July 08, 2024
Judge’s intemperate remarks eclipse legal arguments in successful murder appeal
The city of Toronto was shocked upon hearing the news that first responders attending a North York townhouse at 2:15 a.m. on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 14, 2014, found 4-year-old Jaelin Roberto Colley was already dead.
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July 05, 2024
Trial judge’s comments lead to new trial for couple convicted of murdering four-year-old son
A Toronto couple convicted of murdering their four-year-old son has been granted a new trial after Ontario’s top court found that the actions of a trial judge who repeatedly urged the defendants to plead guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder created a reasonable apprehension of bias.
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July 05, 2024
SCC-bound case challenges refusal to publicly disclose court records revealing civil case delays
Does the principle of judicial independence enable judicial leaders to veto, in their absolute discretion, the public release of court records that reveal the extent of civil trial delays in the courts they administer? Absent transparency about courts’ operational performance, is the judicial branch of government sufficiently accountable to the public for its role in managing the courts?
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July 05, 2024
Legal aid certificates in Alberta will end July 9 unless new agreement is reached
Alarm bells are being raised across Alberta’s justice sector about the potential stoppage of legal aid services in the province.