Access to Justice
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July 03, 2024
Jail credits fail to add up to successful appeal
On Oct. 8, 2021, David Lanktree was not having a good day. He was driving his white Chevrolet truck when police spotted him. The police knew he had a driving prohibition, so he was stopped and arrested.
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July 02, 2024
Virani orders new trial in 50-year-old Manitoba murder conviction, citing likely miscarriage of justice
Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani has ordered a new trial for Clarence Woodhouse after determining a miscarriage of justice likely happened in 1974 when Woodhouse and two other Indigenous men were tried and convicted of murdering a Winnipeg man.
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July 02, 2024
A primer on family mediation
People living in marital or common law relationships have a number of legal issues on top of the emotional issues they face if they separate on a permanent basis. When it comes to the legal issues, they need information about the law and how it applies to them.
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July 02, 2024
6 honorary LLDs awarded by Ontario law society
The Law Society of Ontario announced in a June 28 press release that it had awarded six individuals with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD). LLDs are awarded to those who demonstrate outstanding achievements in the legal world and were awarded at the Call to the Bar ceremonies earlier this month.
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July 02, 2024
What we can learn from our pets | John L. Hill
Being a lawyer often equates with having a stressful life. The American Psychiatric Association says pet owners are more satisfied with their lives than non-pet owners. Eighty-six per cent of owners credit their pets with positively impacting their mental health.
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June 28, 2024
Feds release Canada’s Black Justice Strategy report targeting systemic racism in justice system
The federal government should establish a Black justice portfolio within the Department of Justice to focus on policy development and legal reform to counter systemic racial biases in Canada’s justice system, according to a just-released report.
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June 28, 2024
Crime school | John L. Hill
Two seemingly unrelated news stories that should concern us broke in the past week. The first story concerned the 124 people arrested by Ontario’s carjacking task force. Police say many were out on bail and rereleased after their latest arrest.
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June 27, 2024
CRA warns legal action to recover pandemic benefit overpayments will begin in July
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning that it will begin taking legal action in July against individuals who have not co-operated in returning overpayments from COVID-19 benefit programs, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
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June 27, 2024
Celebrating 20 Years of the Sudbury Mock Trial Competition | Trevor Kestle
Mock trial competitions are not merely contests of legal knowledge. They are arenas where young minds sharpen their advocacy, deepen their understanding of justice and kindle a lifelong passion for the rule of law.
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June 27, 2024
‘Piecemeal’ assessment of evidence results in successful appeal
It is unusual to see a trial judge’s decision overturned in a brief nine-paragraph judgment that, in essence, accuses the judge of improperly assessing the evidence.