Criminal
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September 12, 2025
Appeal Court orders new trial in British Columbia child exploitation case
The American poet and journalist Carl Sandburg has been quoted as saying, “If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell.” That appears to be the advice that legal counsel might have received when defending Eric David Guenter.
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September 11, 2025
Poilievre proposes bail reform, civil liberties group asserts there’s no evidence for change
On the very same day that federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre announced that his party will be introducing the Jail Not Bail Act after Parliament reconvenes in the fall, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has delivered a strongly worded message to the federal Minister of Justice Sean Fraser: any policy aimed at reforming the Canadian bail system must be based on statistics and not on misinformation. The Thursday statement included a letter the CCLA had delivered in June.
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September 11, 2025
Appeal Court dismisses Charter claims in decades-old sex assault case
On Nov. 5, 2021, Raymond Burke was convicted in a Toronto courtroom of multiple offences, including kidnapping, uttering threats, assault and sexual assault against two women (R. v. Burke, 2021 ONSC 7342).
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September 10, 2025
New OBA president hopes to bring ‘more conversational experience’ to position
The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) has a new leader at its helm. Katy Commisso took over the top job from former president Kathryn Manning at the beginning of September after serving a term as the first vice-president of the OBA, which is the professional association for Ontario's lawyers, judges and law students. She will serve for the 2025-26 term. Commisso, a native of Burlington, Ont., said she did not grow up wanting to be a lawyer.
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September 10, 2025
Four-pronged appeal in aggravated assault case dismissed
Christopher Parker was charged and convicted of aggravated assault for stabbing Ronald Oster in the neck on Nov. 13, 2020, at a supportive housing facility in Victoria. Oster, a harm-reduction worker and drug user, had allowed Parker and his girlfriend to stay in his unit against housing rules but later tried to evict them.
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September 09, 2025
Concerned Canadians’ digital sovereignty agenda: What’s next?
Last week, a coalition of policy experts, civil society groups and other concerned Canadians sought to crystallize concerns for digital sovereignty voiced in the context of the current trade environment in an agenda to strengthen protections for Canada’s technology infrastructure.
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September 09, 2025
Quebec appoints two judges, presiding justice of the peace
Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette has announced the appointment of two judges and a presiding justice of the peace to the Court of Quebec.
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September 09, 2025
POWERS OF SEARCH AND SEIZURE - Search warrants - Validity
Appeal by Unrau from a voir dire finding that there was no breach of his rights under s. 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a finding that police made full and fair disclosure in an Information to Obtain.
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September 08, 2025
N.S. judge extols virtues of province’s new bail court
A top judge in Nova Scotia says the province’s new dedicated bail court will produce “long-term benefits” for the criminal justice system.
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September 08, 2025
Appeal Court reduces sentence for man with cognitive challenges, upholds sexual assault conviction
In a case involving sexual interference and assault, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the conviction against Chad Storey but reduced his six-year sentence to four years and three months to reflect the appellant’s cognitive disability in a decision released on Aug. 28.