Access to Justice
-
June 18, 2025
Flawed police testimony leads to successful appeal
It seemed to be an impulsive trip from Guelph, Ont., to Sudbury, Ont., for three young men. On Dec.1, 2017, OPP officer David Desroches stopped Adam Chiarelli, who was speeding in his mother’s car on Highway 400. After impounding the car and taking the three men to a nearby gas station, officer Scott Orsan noticed the scent of cannabis. He discovered marijuana and related items during a search of the vehicle. All three men were arrested.
-
June 17, 2025
Ontario faces $30M class action over alleged mass abuse at Maplehurst jail
Ontario is facing a $30-million proposed class action over allegations that nearly 200 inmates at a correctional facility were subjected to illegal strip searches and systematic violence as collective punishment for an individual inmate assaulting a guard.
-
June 17, 2025
LSO presents honorary doctorate to Dr. Peter Jaffe
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has awarded an honorary degree to Dr. Peter Jaffe.
-
June 17, 2025
Legal harmonies: Exploring law through the lens of symphonic masterpieces
Symphonic music, with its grand scale and emotional depth, has long been a powerful medium for expressing complex societal themes. As a mirror to society, symphonic music has long reflected cultural, political and legal norms.
-
June 16, 2025
Insurance Bureau says unchecked increase in litigation funding could drive up insurance costs
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is calling for restrictions on litigation funding on the basis that it is being used as an investment tool that uses the court system to generate profits for large financial firms.
-
June 16, 2025
Horror of provincial jails in Canada
Much to my surprise, on my first day in a provincial jail after my arrest, the two prisoners with whom I shared a cell (I slept on the floor with my head by the toilet) both told me that the conditions in this jail were much worse than in the federal prisons where they had served time.
-
June 16, 2025
Bill C-5: A legal feeding frenzy at the expense of Indigenous jurisdiction
The federal government’s proposed Bill C-5 — which includes the Building Canada Act — sets a two-year timeline for major project approvals. On the surface, it promises efficiency and economic momentum. But from the perspective of many Indigenous leaders and legal professionals, this legislation signals a looming crisis: the sidelining of Indigenous law, the erosion of meaningful consultation, and a surge of culturally incompetent legal advocacy that risks deepening colonial harm.
-
June 13, 2025
Supreme Court Kinamore ruling clarifies rules on sexual history in trials
A fair match in sports requires teams to confront each other on a level playing field. The analogy holds for the courtroom as well. Sexual offence trials in Canada have become increasingly complex, partly due to confusion surrounding the rules governing evidence of a complainant’s sexual history. These rules, designed to prevent reliance on discriminatory myths and protect complainants’ rights, have resulted in uncertainty and disruption during trials. In the recent case of R. v. Kinamore, 2025 SCC 19, Canada’s highest court sought to level the playing field.
-
June 13, 2025
Christopher Johnson receives CBABC award for contributions to legal aid
The Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch (CBABC) has recognized criminal justice lawyer Christopher Johnson with the Georges A. Goyer, QC Memorial Award for Distinguished Service.
-
June 13, 2025
Alberta Court of Appeal tasked with measuring manageable vs. unmanageable risk
We have all heard the phrase, “Lock him up and throw away the key.” The closest our Criminal Code comes to authorizing such a punishment is the designation of an offender as a dangerous offender. Challenging such a designation can be difficult, as one Albertan found in R. v. Bouvier, 2025 ABCA 202.