In R. v. J.L. 2018 ONCA 756, The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal of an accused who was convicted of sexual assault. The trial judge convicted the accused because he felt that the complainant would not engage in the acts as described by the accused because she was a young woman. The alleged […]

After the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in R. v Jordan, 2016 SCC 27, which clarifies and streamlines the Charter of Rights and Freedoms delay of proceedings applications pursuant to section 11(b), “Jordan issues” in the courtroom are still alive as ever. Crown Attorneys, judges and court staff all have instituted protocol, mandates, better practices […]

Many perceive defence counsel as snaky, tricky, tactical used car salesman-like villains in courtrooms all across our countries. It’s easy to blame us— we defend criminals, right? The Crown Attorney on the other hand, is often championed as justice fighters— putting the bad guys in jail where they belong, virtuous and pure. The #MeToo and […]

Disgraced (and now nearly fired) Ontario Police officer, Craig Ruthowsky, has been recently found guilty by a Toronto jury of bribery (for accepting protection money from drug dealers), attempting to obstruct justice, breach of trust, and drug trafficking. Ruthowsky also has similar charges pending in Hamilton for which he has yet to stand trial. Ruthowsky […]

Access to Justice is always a live and relevant issue: people with limited financial means are at risk to not having legal representation compared to those who can easily afford it. Legal Aid alleviates some financial pressure off impoverished accused in Criminal Court, however, unless the Crown is seeking a jail sentence, it is nearly […]