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In an attempt to clear the high number of cases currently awaiting trial in the Ontario Courts, the government has created a new guilty plea certificate system that incentivizes those accused to plead guilty by providing legal representation for a guilty plea.  In this post, we’ll take a look at this new certificate system and […]

Using a bicycle to get around is a very popular mode of transportation. Bikes are handy for getting to and from work, they are environmentally friendly, you don’t need to pay for gas or insurance, and they are great for exercise and even for going out to socialize. But what if you’ve had a few

If you have been arrested or detained, it is essential to know your rights with the police. This post will discuss your constitutional rights upon arrest according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We will examine how a Toronto criminal defence lawyer can help your case. THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS The

Sexual assault laws are changing in Canada. Political movements like #MeToo and several high-profile cases involving sexual related activity in Canada have shed light on sexual assault laws and how these crimes are reported and charged. This post will highlight some of the recent changes to the sexual related assaults and aggravated sexual assault sections of the

For many members of the public, the legal system may seem monolithic. Popular culture doesn’t always do a good job of distinguishing between the different kinds of law. We generally understand that there are judges, lawyers, and juries – and for many, that’s as far as it goes. However, there is a significant difference between criminal law

I. CRIMINAL CODE OF CANADA, SECTION 218 — ABANDONING CHILD: s. 218 of the code makes it an offence for one to (a) unlawfully abandon or expose a child under the age of ten, where (b) its life is or is likely to be endangered or its health is or is likely to be permanently injured

The question that a preliminary inquiry judge is to ask under section 548(1) of the Criminal Code in making an order to stand trial or to discharge is “whether or not there is any evidence upon which a reasonable jury properly instructed could return a verdict of guilty”[1]. A decision by a preliminary inquiry judge to

Over the last 10 years, blood pattern analysis (BPA)’s foundation in physics and other fields of science has been called into question [1]. Current BPA reconstruction methods utilize straight trajectories in crime scene reconstruction, neglecting to account for the effects of gravity and drag which results in the actual trajectory being curved rather than straight[2]. Further,

A Vetrovec warning is a warning provided to a jury about “relying on the informer’s unsupported testimony”[1]. These “clear and sharp warning[s]”[2] are given to the jury to alert them to the risk of relying on the evidence of an “unreliable witness”[3]. Whether to issue a Vetrovec warning and its contents are often decided by the trial judge, but in