Criminal
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December 05, 2025
SCC okays jury charge; whether suicide aiders may face murder charges had ‘no bearing’ on case
The Supreme Court of Canada has affirmed the guilt of a nurse who was convicted in Ontario of attempting to murder both her mother and child via insulin overdoses; however, the top court’s majority declined to decide if and when murder charges can be laid in respect of actions that aid the suicide of others.
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December 05, 2025
Supreme Court rules in R. v. B.F. attempted murder case
When someone has provided a person with the means to take their own life, and that person makes an independent and autonomous choice to do so, the question arises: how are we to distinguish between the offences of culpable homicide and aiding suicide?
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December 05, 2025
Feds announce steps to strengthen Canada’s firearms regime
The federal government has announced three additional steps to strengthen the nation’s firearms regime, highlighting ongoing consultation with victims, “firearms experts, Indigenous Peoples, industry, firearms owners and hunters.”
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December 05, 2025
PROCEDURE - Trial judge’s duties - Charge or directions
Appeal by Crown from a judgment of the Ontario Court of Appeal which set aside a conviction for attempted murder and ordered a new trial; appeal by BF from same judgment which upheld her convictions for attempted murder and aggravated assault.
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December 05, 2025
CONTROLLED DRUGS AND SUBSTANCES - Possession - Cannabis
Appeal by Liu from conviction and sentence. Approximately five kilograms of cannabis and growing equipment were found in Liu’s car when he was stopped by police while driving from Calgary to Toronto.
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December 05, 2025
Brutality of crime informs sentencing, appeal in B.C decision
Criminologists might use “strain theory” to explain crimes committed by individuals who grew up in deprivation and are unable to reach their goals through legitimate means. While such individuals deserve sympathy, how far should an appellate court go in reducing sentences when the crime was brutal? That was the issue facing the Manitoba Court of Appeal in R. v. Heinrichs, 2025 MBCA 101.
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December 04, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal weighs real public risk against public opinion
There is significant public pressure to deny bail after a person is arrested for a criminal offence. It is also reasonable to expect that this pressure could influence a Court of Appeal judge to refuse bail when an application for bail pending appeal is made, especially if the conviction involves a serious offence.
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December 03, 2025
Federal judges ‘reluctantly’ take Carney gov’t to court in dispute over pay, judicial independence
In a pay dispute with Ottawa that raises questions about the requirements for judicial independence, the Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association (CSCJA) and the associate judges of the Federal Court separately filed Federal Court applications seeking judicial review of the Carney government’s recent refusal to implement the recommendations of an independent judicial pay commission, including its advice that a $28,000 salary boost (on top of mandatory annual indexing) is necessary to keep attracting outstanding lawyers to the federal benches.
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December 03, 2025
Lawyers raise concerns about Manitoba’s new detainment law for meth intoxication
Legal minds in Manitoba are concerned that new legislation allowing for the 72-hour detention of people “intoxicated” by drugs will possibly do more harm than good.
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December 03, 2025
Saskatchewan Appeal Court finds incarceration ‘demonstrably unfit’ sentence for cannabis offence
Canada passed the Cannabis Act on Oct. 17, 2018, becoming the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to formally legalize the cultivation and recreational use of cannabis. Prosecutions for possession of the substance are now a rarity. The Oct. 2, 2025, Saskatchewan Court of Appeal decision of R. v. Liu, 2025 SKCA 98 stands out for that reason.