Access to Justice
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April 07, 2026
Successful appeal sees murder sentences changed from adult life to youth life
The phrase “boys will be boys” is sometimes used to dismiss or normalize male aggression, sexual misconduct and dangerous behaviour, effectively acting as a cultural or sometimes legal shield that hampers accountability for criminal actions. Should it?
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April 07, 2026
The view from below: Response to Michael Crowley
I appreciate Mr. Crowley taking the time to respond to my piece on my experience of parole, and I respect his position in doing so. He has many years of experience; I only had my one experience, some years ago now, and what I heard from other prisoners.
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April 02, 2026
B.C. proposes amendments for various Acts, changes to certain legal processes
On April 1, the B.C. government introduced the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 to the legislative assembly. If passed, the amendments will make changes to numerous provincial statutes, including those relating to judicial review, administrative penalty proceedings, statutory authority of correctional officers and more.
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April 02, 2026
N.B. giving millions to justice services, increasing various fees
New Brunswick is investing millions in its justice and safety services — including more than $1 million for the agency investigating incidents of death, injury or sexual assault involving a police officer. As part of an April 1 news release, the province also detailed a myriad of fee hikes, including an increase in filing a claim to small claims court, a per-page increase for criminal and family matter transcripts and a rise in costs involving probate court.
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April 02, 2026
Attempted murder appeal examines relevance of video evidence
Everyone is familiar with the tragic events in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed while riding in an open convertible. A bystander, 58-year-old Abraham Zapruder, captured the shooting on his 8mm movie camera.
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April 02, 2026
The wizard behind the curtain; the judge beneath the robe: Finale
This is the third instalment of a three-part series about what makes a good judge. You will need to have part one of this series handy to follow the “correct” answers suggested here. Part two ended by raising the question of how to deal with crying in the courtroom.
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April 01, 2026
New Saskatchewan animal welfare agency brings ‘strong, long-term approach’: minister
A new agency enforcing animal welfare is now up and running in Saskatchewan. The province’s government announced that the Saskatchewan Animal Enforcement Agency (SAEA) will now be delivering animal welfare services, replacing Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan (APSS), which ceased operations as of March 31.
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April 01, 2026
Bill C 12: Reinforcing system integrity while testing the limits of immigration law
The passage of Bill C‑12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, reflects a reality that immigration lawyers increasingly confront in practice. Canada’s immigration system faces persistent pressures from fraud, irregular migration and national security risks that legacy statutory tools were not designed to manage at scale. Against that backdrop, Parliament’s objective in enacting Bill C‑12 — strengthening border integrity, deterring abuse and maintaining public confidence — is not only legitimate, but necessary.
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April 01, 2026
Why parole boards must not be swayed by public opinion
As Easter approaches, we are reminded of a crowd’s shouts to “Give us Barabbas.” The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, believed Jesus was innocent but capitulated to the pressure of the crowd to prevent a riot. Should public pressure influence the justice system? On March 27, Global News reminded us of a situation that unfolded in British Columbia in 2021 and is now recurring in 2026.
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March 31, 2026
The wizard behind the curtain; the judge beneath the robe: Act II
Toto, draw that curtain back some more. How do we pick our judges?