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Media

Michael Spratt is often consulted by members of the media on emerging legal and justice issues. Many of Michael’s cases receive media attention both locally and nationally. The following is a selection of such articles:

In The Media

CBC (The Current): November 2023: Inquest into Soleiman Fariri’s death

Toronto Star: November 2023: ‘To what end?’ A Toronto judge’s frustration at prisons’ failure to rehabilitate serial offender

CBC: November 2023: Yellowknife man pleads guilty to 2nd degree murder in death of Breanna Menacho

CBA National: September 2023: Forecasting the Supreme Court’s work

Global News: September 2023: ‘Freedom Convoy’ duo faces trial in Ottawa. Here’s what the charges mean

Globe and Mail: September 2023: Ottawa’s bail reform legislation lands in the Senate, but critics question quick House passage

Toronto Star: July 2023: ‘Her fake honour’: Caroline Mulroney was called to Ontario bar three days before getting ‘King’s Counsel’ title

CP24: July 2023: Sarnia police delete tweet about woman’s shoplifting arrest following backlash

Ottawa Citizen: June 2023: Ottawa police accused of intimidating schoolboy who flipped them the bird

Cornwall Newswatch: June 2023:Sentencing for two former basketball league executives delayed

DailyHive: May 30, 2023: Blue Jays fans are donating to LGBTQ charities in Anthony Bass’ name

National Post: May 2023: ‘Anti-woke’ group loses elections at Law Society of Ontario

CBC: May 2023: Judges mulls 6th lawyer for N.W.T. man accused of second-degree murder

TVO: May 2023: Bell and Ontario, let’s talk about how much you profited from prison calls

Cambridge Today: March 2023: Guest at Ford’s daughter’s wedding picked for York police board

CBC: March 2023: Ottawa lawyer James Bowie facing criminal charges

CBC: March 2023: N.W.T. judge agrees to back-up lawyer in effort to prevent more delays in Yellowknife murder trial

Orillia Matters: February 2023: Attorney General Downey ducks questions on justice system reform

CBC: February 2023: Prosecutor looking to avert another delay in Devon Larabie murder trial in N.W.T.

Global News: January 2023: Does Canada need tougher bail laws? Officer’s death prompts calls for reform

CBC: January 2023: 3 years later, murder trial finally scheduled for Devon Larabie

CTV News: December 2022: Canada needs to overhaul how it handles stalking, harassment cases: experts

CTV News: December 2022: Embattled Ottawa lawyer James Bowie facing new accusations of harassment, manipulation, sexual assault

Ottawa Citizen: December 2022: Embattled Ottawa lawyer defends himself online in services-for-sex case

Law Times: December 2022: Ottawa lawyer James Bowie, accused of sexual misconduct, suspended by LSO in unrelated proceedings

Narcity: November 2022: 8 Of The Weirdest Ottawa Bylaws You Won’t Believe Actually Exist

The Lawyer’s Daily: November 2022: Alberta’s top court reminds trial judges to follow Criminal Code, jurisprudence in rulings

Ottawa Citizen: October 2022: OPS intelligence report on truckers’ protest criticized as ‘oddball,’ ‘unprofessional’ and ‘disturbing’

Maclean’s: October 2022: An Act of Evil

CBC: August 2022: Judges’ clerk pleads guilty to obstruction after telling fiancé he was subject of wiretap

The Lawyer’s Daily: July 2022: Ontario Court of Appeal dismisses man’s appeal in shooting death of spouse

Global News: July 2022: Quebec judge under fire over sexual assault discharge citing career impact

Ottawa Citizen: July 2022: Ottawa sex-trade worker jailed for role in 2018 killing of pimp

CityNews: June 2022: Lawyer says ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Tamara Lich arrested

CBC: June 2022: RCMP took law ‘into their own hands’ by entering N.L. home and questioning child, lawyers say

CTV News: May 2022: Group of Ontario lawyers petitions courts to keep proceedings virtual

Toronto Star: April 2022: A ‘staggering’ number of Canadians are glued to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial. Is it time to let live TV into our own courts?

CBC: March 2022: Law in the time of COVID: How the pandemic radically reoriented Ontario’s justice system

Ottawa Citizen: March 2022: Woman who pleaded guilty to kidnapping eight-day-old baby declared not criminally responsible

Lawyer’s Daily: March 2022: Appellate court orders new trials in murder case over judge’s ‘failure’ in jury charge

Ottawa Citizen: March 2022: Sex-trade worker who planned deadly trap for Ottawa pimp pleads guilty, three killers remain at large

Lawyer’s Daily: March 2022: Convoy bail hearings highlight importance of impartiality, ‘solid’ defence bar, CLA chairs say

City News: February 2022: ‘Lots of blame to go around’: reaction to Peter Sloly resignation as chief of Ottawa police

Le Droit: February 2022: Randy Hillier devrait être en prison aux côtés des organisateurs, juge un avocat de la défense

Ottawa Citizen: MP Gallant’s media posts provoke divisive atmosphere, constituents say

City News: February 2022: Lanark MPP’s occupation actions could result in arrest: criminal lawyer

City News: February 2022: Ontario legislature orders apology from controversial MPP Randy Hillier over conduct

Toronto Star: December 2021: Ontario jail closes as COVID-19 outbreaks hit provincial facilities

Ottawa Citizen: December 2021: Inmates moved to Ottawa and Lindsay as outbreak shuts Brockville jail

The London Free Press: November 2021: Should police chiefs have power to suspend some cops without pay?

Capital Current: October 2021: High phone rates in prisons leaves incarcerated people disconnected

Ottawa Citizen: October 2021: Cold justice made warm: Winter clothes needed at the Ottawa courthouse

CBA National: October 2021: Held to a standard of perfection

Toronto Star: October 2021: Ottawa police officer cleared of corruption charges

CBC: October 2021: Crown withdraws corruption charge against Ottawa police officer

Ottawa Citizen: October 2021: Crown drops obstruction of justice charge against Ottawa police officer

Ottawa Citizen: August 2021: ‘Planned and deliberate’: OC Transpo lovers found guilty at murder retrial

CBC: July 11 2021: Criminal defence lawyers sound alarm over Ford government’s new justice of the peace appointees

QP Briefing: June 2021: Flurry of justice of the peace appointments raise renewed concerns about politicizing the court

CTV: June 2021: COVID Outbreak, low vaccination uptake, at Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre

Toronto Star: May 2021: Ontario is still owed millions under a law the Supreme Court called unconstitutional. A homeless man is asking a judge to clear his debts

CBA National: May 2021: Reviving the Law Commission of Canada

Halifax Examiner: April 2021: When publication bans harm those they’re meant to protect

Ottawa Citizen: April 2021: Ottawa police officer defends himself against allegations of racism

Ottawa Citizen: April 2021: New trial ordered for Ottawa man convicted of firebombing ex-wife’s house

Canadian Lawyer: April 2021: Department of Justice takes step to create Criminal Case Review Commission

CBA National: April 2021: Loosening the purse strings

Ottawa Citizen: April 2021: Ottawa police officer bemoans fate of ‘white man’ on TikTok video

Ottawa Citizen: April 2021: OC Transpo driver had no motive to murder his wife, defence lawyer argues

Ottawa Citizen: April 2021: Gurpreet Ronald’s decision not to call 911 led to deception: defence

Lawyer’s Daily: March 2021: Ontario Appeal Court orders retrial in gun/drugs case over misapprehension of evidence

CBC: March 2021: Driver of 2nd boat in O’Leary crash convicted of failing to exhibit navigation light

CTV: February 2021: Clairvoyant who claimed to hear message from deceased Jagtar Gill cross-examined in murder trial

CBC: February 2021: Jagtar Gill’s family braces for murder retrial

CBA National: February 2021: A first step in repealing mandatory minimums

Ottawa Citizen: January 2021: Ottawa police deputy chief lays out stay-at-home order enforcement approach

Global: December 2020: Ontario jail guards broke use-of-force rules in death of Soleiman Faqiri: court documents

Ottawa Citizen: October 2020: Former Ottawa police officer acquitted of sexual assault

Vice: October 2020: A Black Man Fell to His Death Following an Aggressive Police Raid

Vice: October 2020: Her Daughter Died in a Police Raid. 500 Days Later, She Still Doesn’t Have Answers

CTV: July 2020: Day two of closing arguments in Montsion trial

Ottawa Citizen: July 2020: Advocacy group creates legal trust for race-related cases after Bashizi incident

Canadian Press: July 2020: Canada’s militarized police forces face defunding and ‘de-tasking’, experts say

Vice: July 2020: What You Should Do When You Witness Police Brutality

CTV: July 2020: Ottawa police apologize after 911 call where white woman reports Black man in a park

CBC: July 2020: Ottawa police apologize for handling of 911 call about Black man in Barrhaven park

Globe and Mail: June 2020: Citing lack of COVID-19 safety measures, courthouse workers, lawyers push back against Ontario reopening of courts

Hill Times: June 2020: Thousands gather at Parliament Hill in a show of solidarity against racism, police violence in Canada

Lawyer’s Daily: June 2020: Ontario Appeal Court rules ‘meaningful inquiry’ required on offender’s ability to pay restitution

Ottawa Citizen: June 2020: Police won’t say whether Ifedi investigation will be reviewed, despite calls for more scrutiny

National Post: June 2020: Liberals talk about fighting racism but ignore their own broken promises to help

CBA National: June 2020: Forming reasonable suspicion

CBC: May 2020: COVID-19 pandemic forces an Ontario justice system ‘stuck in the 1970s’ to modernize

Lawyer’s Daily: May 2020: Court of Appeal ruling highlights ‘systemic problem’ of Charter non-compliance within Peel police

Global News: April 2020: Fines, snitch lines: Crackdown on coronavirus rule breakers could have consequences

New Optimist: April 2020: COVID-19 pandemic exposing failures in Canadian penal policy: Lawyer

The Star: April 2020: Canada In wake of N.S. shootings, here’s how police say you can be sure you’re dealing with a real officer

CBA National: April 2020: Adapting for the aftermath

Maclean’s: April 2020: Quarantine nation: Inside the lockdown that will change Canada forever

CBA National: April 2020: The cracks are really showing

National Post: March 2020: Guards refuse to work in Ottawa jail over lack of COVID-19 screening protocols

CBC: March 2020: Courts scramble to modernize to keep the system working in a pandemic

Canadian Lawyer: March 2020: How does the COVID-19 criminal trials shutdown affect Charter rights of those awaiting trial?

Vice March 2020: Man Arrested for Intentionally Coughing on Someone During Coronavirus Fight

Vice: March 2020: Canada’s Prisons Are a Coronavirus Time Bomb, Say Guards and Inmates

Ottawa Citizen: March 2020: ‘A looming and predictable disaster’: Defence lawyers sound alarm over jails amidst Ontario court chaos

Maclean’s: March 2020: The dark side of Canada’s coronavirus response

Ottawa Sun: March 2020: COVID-19 outbreak gains speed as two new patients in Ottawa confirmed

Vice: March 2020: The Dirty Secrets of Jury Selection, According to Lawyers

London Free Press: February 2020: Killers’ sentencing to go ahead, despite possibility of retrial over jury selection

Globe and Mail: January 2020: “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign and the reality of Ontario’s jails

The Sun: January 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle promote phone network blamed for death of mentally-ill man

Huffington Post: January 2020: Meghan And Harry Just Did A #BellLetsTalk Post

CBC: January 2020: Company behind Bell Let’s Talk profits off vulnerable inmates through phone deal with jails: lawyer

The Lawyer’s Daily: December 2019: Dismissal of all charges in Boyle criminal trial included numerous ‘first-time-in-Canada rulings’

Ottawa Citizen: December 2019: Former Ottawa rookie cop now facing three sex assault charges

Ottawa Citizen: December 2019: Crown calls for jail term in woman’s road rage case

Toronto Star: December 2019: Critics question changes in Ford government’s proposed legal aid law, like how the term ‘low-income’ is nowhere to be found

TVO: December 2019: Do Ontario prisoners need more phone access?

CBA Magazine: November 2019: Feeding the Media

CBA Magaizine: November 2019: The hard truth about legal aid

Lawyer’s Daily: November 2019: Inadmissible evidence, improper submission to jury results in new trial for woman convicted of murder

Huffington Post: October 2019: Doug Ford’s Legal Aid Promise Left Staff Scratching Their Heads

CBC: October 2019: Doug Ford’s legal aid ‘guarantee’ caused big headache for his government, documents show

CBC: October 2019: Scheer’s claim about penalties for violent gang crime ‘extremely misleading,’ says lawyer

Vice: October 2019: The Ghomeshi Trial Is Still Transforming Canada’s Sex Assault Laws

Global News: September 2019: Reality check: What could an inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin scandal actually do?

Toronto Star: August 2019: Critics call for new rules for retired judges in wake of SNC-Lavalin affair

National Post: August 2019: New guidelines on ethical dos, don’ts for retired judges coming next year

The Lawyer’s Daily: August 2019: Ontario Court of Appeal ruling in drug case ‘a strong statement denouncing racial profiling,’ lawyer says

Huffington Post: August 2019: Doug Ford Told People To Call Him For Legal Aid. Here’s How His Office Responds.

CBC News: August 2019: Limits on questions of sexual history during trial welcomed

Huffington Post: August 2019: Doug Ford Is Once Again Asking Ontarians To Call Him For Legal Aid Help

CBC August 2019: Legal aid has suffered from ‘lack of leadership’ across the board: lawyer

Global News: August 2019: RCMP are ‘carefully’ reviewing SNC-Lavalin affair. What exactly are they looking at?

Global News: August 2019: New ethics guidelines coming for retired judges after role in SNC-Lavalin scandal

CBC: July 2019: Ottawa lawyer seeks redress for ‘cruel’ victim surcharge

Toronto Sun: July 2019: New drunk driving law causes confusion

Lawye’r’s Daily: Ontario court holds that consensual sex vitiated by fraud is sexual assault

Canadian Lawyer: July 2019: CCTV cameras don’t deter crime, so why does Ottawa want them?

Canadian Lawyer: July 2019: More is needed than judicial education for sexual assault law

CBC Opinion: June 2019: Ford’s cuts to legal aid will end up costing Ontario way more than they save

Canadian Lawyer: June 2019: Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples fits the definition of ‘genocide’

Canadian Lawyer: June 2019: Ontario needs another Leslie Frost, not another Caroline Mulroney

CBC News: June 2019: Legal aid cuts will clog Ontario’s already crowded courts, lawyers warn

Windsor Star: June 2019: Windsor lawyers worry that funding cuts mean more jail for poor, vulnerable

Law Times: June 2019: Lawyers post social media videos on legal aid cuts

CTV News: June 2019: No protections for asthmatics who can’t provide breathalyzer samples: Lawyer

Globe and Mail: June 2019: Premier Ford facing calls for outside review of appointments in wake of patronage scandal

CBC: May 2019: Removing minimum sentence for sex crime may seem disgusting, but it’s actually more just

Globe and Mail: May 2019: Doug Ford’s chief of staff pressed police forces to crack down on illegal cannabis storefronts after legalization

Canadian Lawyer: May 2019: The judicial system can’t withstand political interference

Lawyer’s Daily: May 2019: Drug convictions tossed as Appeal Court rules anonymous tip was not ‘sufficiently credible’

Canadian Lawyer: April 2019: Ontario’s legal aid cuts leave David unarmed against Goliath

Toronto Star: April 2019: Ontario abandons property ownership as source of jurors

Law Times: March 2019: Podcasts a unique way of getting word out

CBC News: March 2019: As RCMP lies in wait, legal minds ponder whether SNC-Lavalin scandal warrants criminal probe

The Lawyer’s Daily: March 2019: B.C. Appeal Court highlights need to consider mental illness when sentencing impaired offender

National Post: February 2019: Oh, the irony: Trudeau can blame this all on his own omnibus bill

CBC News: February 2019: Jody Wilson-Raybould says she’s bound by ‘solicitor-client privilege,’ won’t comment on SNC-Lavalin scandal

Ottawa Citizen: February 2019: Ottawa police officer’s manslaughter trial resumes as disclosure issues hold potentially ‘dire’ impact

CBC News: February 2019: Pleading guilty: The complex reasons for a criminal defendant to waive their right to trial

Canadian Lawyer: January 2019: New federal justice minister was law prof

CBC News: January 2019: Bench madness: Law office pool to crown all-time finest fictional lawyer

Vancouver Sun: January 2019: If she doesn’t sit, you must acquit: Man beats B.C. drug charge thanks to sniffer dog’s ‘partial’ signal

Ottawa Patters:January 2019: Protesters demand Bell change “restrictive” phone policies for inmates

National Post: January 2019: NP View: Racism lurks in the supposedly ‘woke’ Liberals’ new impaired driving laws

CTV News: January 2019: How the rules for breath tests in Canada have changed

National Post: January 2019: Chris Selley: Canadians, prepare to be breathalyzed

Global News: January 2019: EXCLUSIVE: White and non-Indigenous offenders made up 11% of those in healing lodges last year

Canadian Lawyer: January 2019: Action needed on pardon system, say criminal lawyers

Epoch Times: December 2018: China’s Detention of Canadians Shows Regime’s True Colors

Canadian Lawyer: December 2018: Who is the best fictional lawyer of all-time?

CTV News: December 2018: Mandatory drunk driving tests hitting the roads before the holidays

Epoch Times: December 2018: The Many Passports of Arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou

Globe and Mail: December 2018: Canada will pay a price no matter what for its part in the worsening U.S.-China conflict

Chat News Today: December 2018: New impaired driving laws called ‘groundless’ by lawyer

CTV News: December 2018: ‘You will be caught,’ ministers vow ahead of compulsory breath tests for drivers

FactsCan: December 2018: Arnold Viersen: “Children aged 12 to 17 can possess up to five grams” of marijuana.

Lawyer’s Daily: November 2018: Some Canadian lawyers expect U.S. government to get with times, legalize marijuana nationwide

Lawyer’s Daily: November 2018: RCMP chief superintendent’s drug-impaired driving comments could land him in court, lawyers say

CBC News: November 2018: Police issue publication ban warning in youth manslaughter case

Canadian Lawyer: November 2018: Broken promises in C-75

Lawyer’s Daily: October 2018: Senate amends consent provisions in sexual assault bill but rejects defence bar’s plea to drop ‘reverse disclosure’

Canadian Press: October 2018: Supreme Court of Canada limits when accused drunk drivers can get breathalyzer logs

Canadian Lawyer: October 2018: After the destructive fool’s errand of pot prohibition, expungement now!

CBC News: October 2018: Tens of thousands of Canadians could soon be eligible for a pot pardon, but lawyers warn about limitations

Canadian Lawyer: October 2018: The Liberals are all vision, no reform

The Lawyer’s Daily: October 2018: Canada’s top cop says officers ready for pot-smoking drivers; lawyers say issues still linger

The Lawwyer’s Daily: October 2018: As final vote nears on Bill C-51, senators consider law groups’ proposals to fix sex assault law reforms

Winnipeg Free Press: October 2018: Ottawa to expedite pardons for simple cannabis possession

Canadian Lawyer: October 2018: Kavanagh confirmation sows decades of judicial distrust

Canadian Lawyer: September 2018: Feds need constitutional remedy on sexual assault intoxication defence

Ottawa Citizen: September 2018: Hill: One legal system for corporations, another for the rest of us?

The Lawyer’s Daily: September 2018: Criminal defence lawyers leery of feds’ new cannabis testing device

Canadian Lawyer: September 2018: Among Premier’s influencers and the AG’s true role, Mulroney is absent

CTV News: August 2018: Feds approve controversial roadside test to help cops catch high drivers

CBC News: August 2018: Despite ‘Good Samaritan’ law, many drug users too scared of arrest to report overdoses

Canadian Lawyer: August 2018: After Danforth shooting, no solutions just political theatre

CBC News: August 2018: How much emotion should a judge show in the courtroom?

Canadian Lawyer: August 2018: Getting to the real root of gun violence

Ottawa Citizen: July 2018: Two years after Jordan, the Ottawa courthouse remains beset by delays

Vice News: July 2018: We Spoke to Experts about Mental Health and the Toronto Shooter

Toronto Star: July 2018: ‘It’s actually shocking how archaic’ Ontario’s criminal courts are

Toronto Star: July 2018: How the underfunding of legal aid is clogging up the justice system

Toronto Star: July 2018: Federal government urged to rein in mandatory minimum sentences

The Law Times: July 2018: New AG to face significant challenges

Ottawa Citizen: July 2018: Spratt: On gun violence, Jim Watson and John Tory shoot from the lip

Canadian Lawyer: July 2018: AG Mulroney’s big debut is a throwback fail

Toronto Star: July 2018: Federal government urged to rein in mandatory minimum sentences

Canadian Lawyer: June 2018: Dear soon-to-be-premier

The Lawyer’s Daily: June 2018: Random breath testing coming to Canada Dec. 18; counsel foresee Charter attacks ‘very early on’

CBA National: June 2018: Trial and error: criminal justice reform

The Leaf Cannabis News: May 2018: Cannabis legalization won’t let youth off the hook: experts

iPolitics: May 2018: Senators drop mandatory alcohol screening from impaired driving bill

Canadian Lawyer: May 2018: Court denies Toronto officer’s appeal, upholds sentence in Yatim case

Canadian Lawyer: April 2018: Apply the principles of the Gladue decision to good character requirements for lawyers

Vice News: April 2018: Lawyer Blames Racist Baseball Bat Attack On Smoking Weed, Receives Conditional Discharge

Law Times: April 2018: Sweeping changes proposed for Criminal Code

Canadian Lawyer: April 2018: Liberal criminal justice reforms a bold betrayal

Canadian Lawyer: April 2018: Liberal government justice reforms will cause further delays, criminal lawyers say

National Post: April 2018: Christie Blatchford: Unlike Canada, U.K. has learned sex assault ‘victims’ aren’t always victims

Ottawa Citizen: April 2018: Why the new justice reform bill, C-75, is anything but just

CBC: March 2018: Lawyers say post-Boushie justice reforms could actually make juries less diverse

Canadian Press: March 2018: Liberals set to reform jury selection process following Colten Boushie case

Vice News: March 2018: Why Dealers Who Sell Fentanyl-Laced Coke Probably Won’t Be Convicted of Murder

CBC: March 2018: Hull-Aylmer MP pledges to help clear pot offenders’ records

CTV News: March 2018: Gatineau Police defend arrest of Radio-Canada reporter

CBA National: March 2018: Reforms to Canada’s criminal justice system proposed

Canadian Lawyer: March 2018: Pot bill’s sober second thought

Toronto Star: March 2018: Why hiring more judges won’t necessarily speed up the justice system

Canadian Lawyer: March 2018: Just say no to the police

National Post: February 2018: Trudeau putting judicial independence at risk with Boushie comments, lawyers say

iPolitics: February 2018: Why not just let jurors talk?

Toronto Star: February 2018: How a broken jury list makes Ontario justice whiter, richer and less like your community

Metro News: February 2018: How a broken jury list makes Ontario justice whiter, richer and less like your community

Canadian Lawyer: February 2018: More Tasers, more problems?

Ottawa Sun: February 2018: Spratt: Canada has the opportunity to fix its justice system

Canadian Lawyer: February 2018: Stanley acquittal should not lead to scrapping peremptory challenges, say criminal lawyers

Canadian Lawyer: February 2018: Blaming shootings on carding decline defies logic

CBC News: February 2018: Quebec stands firm on plan to ban all homegrown pot

CBC News: February 2018: The gruesome job that jurors endure: How much is your civic duty worth?

CBC The Current: February 2018: Due process is for the courts, not for #MeToo, argues lawyer

CBC News: January 2018: Critics doubt new police stats on street checks

CBC The Current: January 2018: ‘Justice can wait’: advocate says leniency for convicted sex offenders ignores victims’ rights

Canadian Lawyer: January 2018: My predictions for federal justice reform in 2018

Canadian Lawyer: January 2018: Trudeau’s Aga Khan vacation, get ready for Duffy part 2

Canadian Press: January 2018: Justice reform consultations ask Canadians to think beyond law-and-order

1310 News: January 2018: Loss of carding partly to blame for shootings: police union

The Tyee: January 2018: Loblaws Skates on Price-fixing, Tried to Send Homeless Man to Jail

CTV News: January 2018: With ‘MeToo,’ does political arena need same burden of proof as courtroom?

CBC News: January 2018: Due process is for the courts, not for #MeToo, argues lawyer

CBC Opinion: January 2018: The presumption of Innocence is for courtrooms, not politics

Law Times: December 2017: No movement on scrapping surcharge

Canadian Lawyer: December 2017: Criminal defence lawyers need to be included in mental health conversation

Lawyer’s Daily: December 2017: Security screening at Toronto Police HQ could have ‘chilling effect’ on public access, lawyers say

Lawyer’s Daily: November 2017: Proposed impaired driving laws could lead to ‘criminalizing’ some pot users, lawyers say

Lawyer’s Daily: November 2017: Defence bar hopes Senate will amend sexual assault law reforms

Canadian Lawyer: November 2017: Ontario AG’s announcement of new provincial bail directives admission of decades of failure

Law Times: November 2017: Lawyers criticize proposed THC regulation

National Post: November 2017: Religious groups urge MPs to keep Criminal Code prohibition on disrupting a worship service

CanadaLand Shortcuts: November 2017: Weekend With Bernie

CBC News: November 2017: ‘Completely absurd’: Lawyers doubt clout of pending pot regulations

CBA: November 2017: Listening to Podcast Can Help Your Career

Lawyer’s Daily: October 2017: MPs heed defence bar’s warning that compelling defence disclosure in sex assault cases violates Charter

Lawyer’s Daily: October 2017: Liberals’ tweaks to impaired driving bill can’t fix Charter flaws, lawyer groups say

Lawyer’s Daily: October 2017: Public’s ‘appetite for reform’ paves way for pledged record suspension changes

CBC News: October 2017: Government releases legal limits for drugged driving but can’t say how much pot is too much

Canadian Lawyer: October 2017: Marijuana bill another example of Liberals’ broken promises

Huffington Post: October 2017: Mel Arnold, Tory MP, Wants Thieves To Face Life Sentences For Stolen Firefighting Equipment

Law Times: October 2017: Liberals drop controversial height restriction on homegrown pot plants

National Post: September 2017: Legalized marijuana will lead to more impaired driving, police tell Commons committee

Lawyer’s Daily: September 2017: Experts dispute lawyers’ warning to MPs that impaired driving bill violates Charter

CTV News: September 2017: Proposed changes to impaired driving laws raises red flags: lawyer

Ottawa Citizen: September 2017: Judge gives pot shop budtender some advice that may spare him a criminal record

Global News: September 2017: ‘I was in shock’: Ottawa mom sparks debate over pornography in libraries

Law Times: September 2017: Ontario to improve provincial court diversity

Globe and Mail: September 2017: Marijuana policy: Are we protecting our children?

Huffington Post: September 2017: Porn-Watcher In Ottawa Library Spurs Discussion About Freedom Of Information

Toronto Star: September 2017: Judges to preside over bail hearings at two courthouses

1310 News: September 2017: Porn viewing goes unpunished at Ottawa libraries

CTV News: September 2017: Legalizing marijuana won’t extinguish black market, House committee hears

CBC News: September 2017: Library patrons allowed to surf porn, Ottawa mom discovers

The Georgia Straight: September 2017: Harshing the Buzz on Bill C-45: Lawyer says bill for legal cannabis leaves criminalization intact

Lawyer’s Daily: September 2017: Lawyer warns cannabis bill is constitutionally flawed and harmful

Standard Freeholder: September 2017: Defendant acquitted of sexual assault and sexual interference in Cornwall trial

Standard Freeholder: September 2017: Verdict in Cornwall sexual-assault trial expected Friday

Standard Freeholder: September 2017: Defendant in Cornwall sex-assault trial proclaims his innocence

Standard Freeholder: September 2017: Defence in Cornwall sexual assault trial says witness made up story of assault

CBC News: September 2017: Proposed pot law too harsh on young people, lawyer argues

The Fulcrum: August 2017: Sexual assault trial of former U of O hockey players further delayed

Canadian Press: August 2017: Justice officials testing waters for sentencing reform promised by Liberals

Ottawa Sun: August 2017: Tightening drunk driving laws would put Canada closer to many other countries: MADD

Globe & Main: August 2017: Amid court backlogs, Wilson-Raybould seeks provinces’ help to lower blood-alcohol limit

Ottawa Citizen: August 2017: Why decriminalizing all drugs makes sense

Toronto Starr: July 2017: Supreme Court reversal allows LGBTQ groups to take part in case involving B.C. Christian university

Hamilton Spectator: July 2017: The Spectator’s View: Khadr fight should be fought at home

Canadian Press: July 2017: Baloney Meter: ‘A little baloney’ in claim feds couldn’t stop Khadr lawsuit

National Post: June 2017: Retroactive changes to criminal pardons found unconstitutional

CBC News: June 2017: Frivolous motions not the cause of court delays, Ottawa defence lawyers say

Mental Floss: June 2017: 5 Once-Banned Things That Could Soon Be Legal in Canada

The Lawyer’s Daily: June 2017: It’s time to re-evaluate the jury system

CBC News: June 2017: Government inaction to blame for unequal access to criminal pardons, lawyers claim

Canadian Lawyer: June 2017: The Ghomeshi rules: Bill C-51 creates unprecedented case of reverse disclosure

Canadian Lawyer: July 2017: Dislike of Khadr settlement does not entitle critics to disregard law or facts

Canadian Lawyer: May 2017: Proposed new jails are proof Canada is not upholding UN norms

Global News: May 2017: Canada’s strangest laws: From witchcraft to blasphemy to sleigh bells

Globe and Mail: May 2017: Most Canadians oppose giving police greater powers to obtain breath samples: poll

CPAC: May 2017: Primetime Politics

The Lawyer’s Daily: May 2017: Fine line between plain language and inappropriate commentary in judicial decisions

Globe and Mail: April 2017: Mulcair calls out Trudeau on ‘hypocrisy’ in marijuana anecdote

Metro News: April 2017: Safe Space Ep. 9: Pot puns and police tweets

CTV News: April 2017: Marijuana bill gives police too much power to search drivers: civil rights groups

APTN News: April 2017: Gladue report program in Ottawa facing too many delays, tying up courts and local jail: Lawyers

CTV News: April 2017: Trudeau says his father got his brother help in dealing with pot charge

Canadian Lawyer: April 2017: Broken pot promise would send Liberals’ credibility up in smoke

The Lawyers’s Daily: April 2017: Silence not the answer to Ottawa’s police controversies

CBC News: April 2017: Ottawa police officer disciplined for taking unmarked car to Montreal bachelor party

Vice News: April 2017: Why Critics Are Saying Justin Trudeau’s Weed Bill Is a Continuation of the War on Drugs

Globe and Mail: April 2017: Opinion: Policing the problem of ‘us versus them’

CBC News: April 2017: Retroactive changes to criminal pardons violate charter rights, B.C. judge rules

Toronto Star: March 2017: Scrapping preliminary hearings ‘not going to solve’ problem of court delays

Ottawa Sun: March 2017: After Abdi’s death, public deserves more than police technicalities

Canadian Lawyer: March 2017: Liberals pick only low-hanging justice fruit with Bill C-39

CBC: February 2017: Province gets ‘kickback’ from inmates’ collect calls, lawyer says

CBC: February 2017: Liberals looking to eliminate many mandatory minimum sentences, justice minister says

CBC: February 2017: Criminal courts scramble to meet Supreme Court’s new trial timelines

Globe and Mail: February 2017: Ontario prosecutors told they can skip preliminary inquiries to avoid delays

Capital News: February 2017: Majority of Ontario inmates yet to be convicted

iPolitics: Janaury 2017: Cone of silence over Mark Norman’s removal fuelling rumours: lawyer

CBC: January 2016: Elliot Lake mall collapse trial nears end

Vice: January 2017: New Video Shows Toronto Cops Tasering a Man on the Ground and Telling People Not to Film It

Toronto Star: December 2017: Criminal-record database spotty and out of date, lawyers lament

CBA National: December 2016: Will the Criminal Code finally get a makeover in 2017?

Ottawa Sun: December 2016: Province to see bail reforms, more judges and prosecutors hired, attorney general announces

iPolitics: November 2016: Thibeault ‘should face charges,’ says Democracy Watch co-founder

CBC: November 2016: Creep Catchers bring vigilante tactics to Ottawa Valley

Canadian Lawyer: November 2016: Trudeau’s government should act on promises of justice reform

iPolitics: November 2016: The RCMP needs you scared — and the media seems happy to help

CBC November 2016: Government defends retroactive elements of criminal pardons law

Law Times: November 2016: Challenge to hinge on pardon waiting period

CTV: November 2016: Take a rare look inside the notorious Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre

VICE: October 2016: Why It’s So Hard to Fire Bad Cops in Ontario

CBC: October 2016: Brampton man filmed plying woman with vodka guilty of sex assault

CBC: October 2016: 7,500 people to get texts asking for info in Frederick John Hatch homicide, OPP say

CTV: October 2016: OPP use court-obtained cell data to text over 7,500 possible murder witnesses

CBC: October 2016: How video like this can be ‘very powerful’ evidence in sexual assault trials

Ottawa Sun: October 2016: Police racism? It’s part of the system

CBC: September 2016: Elliot Lake mall collapse investigation needs ‘second look,’ resident says

Vice: September 2016: Why the Ottawa Cop Who Made Racist Facebook Comments Likely Won’t Be Held Accountable

Vice Canada: September 2016: Rape Trial In Which Complainant Was Blackout Drunk Raises Questions About Consent

Canadian Lawyer: August 2016: The thin blue line: police accountability

CTV News: July 2016: Ottawa man dies after arrest that left him in a ‘pool of blood’

Canadian Lawyer: July 2016: It’s been 25 years since Askov but little has changed

Vice Canada: July 2016: Calgary Man Said He’s ‘Sorry’ for Killing House Party Guests He Believed Were Werewolves

Ottawa Sun: June 2016: SPRATT: Crown bury heads in sand on bail failures

Canadian Lawyer: June 2016: The war on drugs blindly marches on

CBC News: May 2016: Lawyers, advocates call for bail reform to ease jail overcrowding

Metro: May 2016: Ottawa police officers never charged after ‘egregious’ Charter breaches

CBC News: May 2016: Trudeau grab an assault? Maybe technically, but PM unlikely to be charged

Ottawa Sun: May 2016: Conviction overturned after police breach woman’s rights

Canadian Lawyer: May 2016: The ‘Dickensian hellscape’ of our jails

Canadian Lawyer: May 2016: Higher standard of proof required for police discipline: appeal court

Ottawa Citizen: May 2016: Editorial: Brampton drinking and driving ruling may have wide implications

iPolitics: April 2016: The Liberals say they have big plans for criminal law. So where are they?

Canadian Press: April 2016: Canada lacks full picture of issues related to bail: Justice documents

Huffington Post: April 2016: Mike Duffy Ruling Could Put Brakes On Expense Cases Against Other Senators

Maclean’s: April 2016: Maclean’s on the Hill: Mike Duffy is not guilty

Sun News: April 2016: Expect Duffy to beat some — but not all – 31 charges

CBC: April 2016: Mike Duffy ruling could put brakes on expense cases against other senators

CanadaLand: April 2016: Trial By Media, Media On Trial

The Coast: April 2016: Weapons of mass intimidation

Global News: April 2016: Duffy Trial: Crown needed to prove intent to get a conviction, says expert

Canadian Lawyer: April 2016: The Criminal Code is a weighty book — literally

Canadian Lawyer: March 2016: Obviously hard to prove

CBC: March 2016: Watchdog to probe complaint against Ottawa police in hit-and-run death

Vice: March 2016: Canadian Police Used Lie Detectors In Parliament Hill Terror Attack Investigation

Canadian Lawyer: February 2016: Think Making a Murderer can’t happen in Canada? Think again

VICE: February 2016: What the Jian Ghomeshi Trial Tells Us About Victim Blaming, Credibility, and Traumatic Memories

Toronto Star: February 2016: Local defence lawyers see strong week for Jian Ghomeshi

CBC: February 2016: What’s it like to testify in a sexual assault case?

Globe and Mail: February 2016: Federal prosecutors maintain hard line on pot as legalization looms

iPolitics: February 2016: Duffy’s fraud and bribery trial hits the home stretch Monday

Vice: January 2016: Front-line Toronto Cops to get Military-Grade Assault Rifles

VICE: January 2016: We Asked Lawyers if the Prosecution in the Ghomeshi Trial is Performing as Badly as It Seems

Canadian Lawyer: January 2016: More than sunny ways needed to address mandatory minimums

BuzzFeed Canada: January 2016: The RCMP Lied That Children Were In Danger So They Could Illegally Enter A Home

Ottawa Sun: January 2016: Making a Murderer dissected by Ottawa lawyers in podcast

Huffington Post: January 2016: Toronto Police Rifle Purchase: Critic Slams Decision As ‘Incredibly Misguided’

Ottawa Sun: January 2016: Trailers set up to house temp staff at Innes Rd. jail

CBC: January 2016: Making a Murderer: Ottawa lawyers dissect Netflix series on podcast

Ottawa Sun: December 2015: Inmates refuse meals to protest Innes Rd. jail conditions

Ottawa Sun: November 2015: ‘Inhumane’ Innes Rd. jail getting a makeover: Naqvi

Ottawa Sun: November 2015: Patrick Brazeau’s slap on wrist not right: Defence lawyer

Ottawa Sun: September 2015: Beefed-up court security a foolish over-reaction

iPolitics: October 2015: Stow that spliff, Canada — you won’t be lighting up legally for a while yet

Global News: October 2015: Group threatens Liberals with new legal challenge over sex work law

Ottawa Sun: September 2015: Human and financial costs of drug war just too high: Spratt

Toronto Star: August 2015: Mounties give Pamela Wallin file to Crown, CTV reports

CTV: August 2015: RCMP investigation into Pamela Wallin’s expenses handed to Crown

Law Times: August 2015: Prof concerned as legal issues sidelined by politics in Duffy case

National Post: August 2015: Michael Spratt: The public’s interest in the Mike Duffy affair

National Post: August 2015: Michael Spratt: The Duffy trial’s ironic twist

CTV News: August 2015: Wright testimony may hurt Crown’s case in Duffy trial: criminal lawyer

CTV Power Play (video): August 2015: Did Wright help or hurt Duffy?

CBC (video): August 2015: Defence lawyer on Nigel Wright testimony

Ottawa Sun: August 2015: Ottawa Police Service’s board’s dismissal of racial data ‘a disgrace’

Globe and Mail: August 2015: Five things to watch for as the Duffy trial resumes

iPolitics: August 2015: The Duffy trial: What will Nigel Wright say — and how will voters react?

CTV News: August 2015: Harper facing questions after PMO staffer spotted talking to witness at Duffy trial

Ottawa Citizen: August 2015: Ottawa jail in ‘crisis’ as lockdowns continue to soar

Macleans: August 2015: Election Issues 2015: A Maclean’s primer on marijuana

Ottawa Sun: July 2015: Cops need new ideas to beat Ottawa’s gang issues says lawyer Michael Spratt

ICI Radio-Canada: July 2015: Des gardiens privés s’occuperont des mesures de sécurité au palais de justice d’Ottawa

OSCAR: July 2015: Getting Smart About Crime

The Lawyers Weekly: July 2015: Friedman sees opportunity lost for police scrutiny

Canadian Press: July 2015: Federal victim surcharge bound for Supreme Court, defence lawyers say

Canadian Press: June 2015: Placing Del Mastro in handcuffs, leg irons standard procedure: OPP

Global News: June 2015: Conservatives spend almost $7M defending unconstitutional legislation

Ottawa Sun: June 2015: Ottawa street checks are the ‘wild west,’ lawyer says

Global News: June 2015: Lawyer crowdfunding challenge to tough-on-crime law he calls ‘unfair, unconstitutional’

Globe and Mail: May 2015: Man crowdfunding his fight against the 10-year wait for a legal pardon

The Rebel: Why Mike Duffy’s intent is “centrally important” to trial’s outcome — and how mud slinging could backfire

CBA National Magazine: May 2014: Crowdfunding justice

The Lawyers Weekly: May 2015: Lawyers warn bill on fast track could have unanticipated fallout

Halifax Herald: May 2015: Rehtaeh law at centre of hate speech debate

CBC: May 2015: FHRITP charges serve as deterrent — even without a conviction

MacLean’s: May 2015: A rough guide to the charges against Mike Duffy

Toronto Star: May 2015: Pilot’s assault conviction comes with warning to Air Canada

City News: May 2015: Duffy trial enters week 2, senate human resources employee to testify

National Post: April 2015: Michael Spratt: Don’t expect fireworks at the Mike Duffy trial

Law Times: April 2015: Police granted extra 12 months to try to crack suspect’s computer encryption

The Law Times: The Hill: Decision against federal lawyer’s election run sparks outrage in Ottawa

iPolitics: April 2015: ‘Judicial activism’ isn’t killing Harper’s crime agenda — Harper is

CTV Canada AM: March 2015: Jury reaches an impasse

APTN: PMO ordered Justice department to re-word Criminal Code to weaken Gladue principles for Aboriginal offenders

National Post: March 2015: Michael Spratt: Conservatives have neither the law nor the facts on their side in the niqab debate

iPolitics: March 2015: Hypocrites in a hurry — Harper’s mad dash to pass C-51

iPolitics: March 2015: Key legal voices blocked from C-51 committee debate

Vice: March 2015: Some Kind of Monster: A Brief History of Harper’s Big Fat Omnibus Bills

Halifax Herald: March 2015: No-chance parole bill in spotlight

CBA National Magazine: March 2015: Life sentences without parole

Globe and Mail: February 2015: Fair trial in question for Ottawa man linked to 2007 triple homicide

Metro: February 2015: Ontario Government’s blocking of lawyer’s blog ‘troubling’

Global News: January 2015: RCMP seeking ‘accountability’ after Alberta RCMP shooter released from jail

iPolitics: January 2015: You thought your phone was private. You were wrong.

iPolitics: January 2015: Please don’t confuse Peter MacKay with facts

iPolitics: January 2015: When Peter MacKay committed sociology

iPolitics: January 2015: Life behind bars: the politics of despair

Ottawa Metro: Eight days of deliberations not surprising in Magnotta trial, say Ottawa lawyers

Ottawa Sun: December 31: Man held in Boxing Day shooting at Tanger Outlet mall

Halifax Herald: December 2014: LEGER: Eroding civil rights for political gain

CTV News: December 2014: Magnotta jury must now decide ‘what was going through his mind’

iPolitics: November 2014: Prison nation: What locking up more people is costing us

iPolitics: November 2014: Franck Gervais did a dumb thing. Should it be a crime?

iPolitics: November 2014: The honour killing bill: Who’s the barbarian now?

National Magazine: November 2014: New laws for Canada’s spies

CBC Radio: December 2014: Mandatory charges for domestic violence

Post Media: November 2014: Massimo Pacetti incident could be misunderstanding, former colleague says

iPolitics: November 2014: Secret witnesses? Curtailed cross-exams? The poison pill in the ‘victims’ rights bill’

National Post: November 2014: Lawyers criticize Tories’ victim’s rights bill that would give judges power to let witnesses testify anonymously

CBC Radio – Ottawa Morning: October 2014: After 20 years Ontario is making it easier to get Legal Aid

Globe and Mail: October 2014: Judge set to rule on Moncton shootings

iPolitics: October 2014: Here come the thought police

Ottawa Sun: October 2014: Barnett guilty of manslaughter, not murder: Defence

CTV Caanada AM: October 2014: Sentencing hearing for Moncton Shooter

Global News: September 2014: Magnotta trial: The art of jury selection

Global News: September 2014: Magnotta trial: What do we know? What will the trial reveal?

CTV: Canada AM: September 2014: Magnotta jury selection process similar to voodoo: lawyer

iPolitics: September 2014: Firing blind: The Harper government’s bungled crime agenda

Globe and Mail: August 2014: Serious error found in a second Tory crime bill

Metro News: August 2014: No charges for man who ‘accidentally’ broke into Trudeau family home

iPolitics: August 2014: The Harper government’s lonely struggle against reality

National Post: August 2014: Growing number of Canadian police forces bulking up with armoured vehicles

Some Honourable Members Podcast: August 2014: Privacy and Justice

Huffington Post: August 2014: Trudeau Break-In: Tory MP Ryan Leef Apologizes For Twitter Joke

CBA National Magazine: August 2014: The victim surcharge: Mandatory or not?

Global News: August 2014: Commissioner mum on new robocalls investigation after Sona verdict

iPolitics: August 2014: The creeping militarization of the police

iPolitics: July 2014: Why didn’t the Mounties charge Nigel Wright? Tactics

Ottawa Sun: July 2014: Giroux apologizes for Canada Day cop butt grab

Ottawa Sun: June 2014: Vet suffers in jail without meds

Press Progress: June 2014: 10 reasons you should be creeped out by Stephen Harper’s anti-privacy agenda

CBA National Magazine: June 2014: Reactions to proposed prostitution laws

Ottawa Citizen: June 2014: Justin Ling: Spidey Senses tingling over C-13

Motherboard (Vice): June 2014: Can Canada’s Likely New Privacy Commissioner Be Trusted to Watch the Watchers?

Law Times: May 2014: Sex Offender Database Lawyers expect constitutional challenge to new registry

Ottawa Sun: May 2014: Record checks a ‘black mark’ to some

Globe and Mail: May 2014: Law groups urge government to revamp cyberbullying bill

The Chronicle Herald: May 2014: Lawyers slam feds’ cyberbullying bill at Ottawa parliamentary committee

The Lawyers Weekly: May 2014: Judge stresses rehabilitation in illegal firearms transfer case

iPolitics: May 2014: Suddenly, it’s open season on judges

CBA National Magazine: May 2014: The cyberbullying bill at committee

iPolitics: May 2014: Does the government’s enemies list now include judges?

iPolitics: May 2014: RCMP made a ‘tactical’ decision to end Wright investigation, Spratt argues

Canadian Lawyer: April 2014: SCC defends judicial discretion in sentencing

CTV News: February 2014: Proposed sex-offender registry will not deter crime, criminal lawyer warns

Ottawa Citizen: January 2014: Suited up for court: Jail OKs wardrobe program for inmates

iPolitics: January: 2014: One law for the rich, another for everyone else

CBC Ottawa Morning: January 2014: Rowbotham applications and access to justice

Ottawa Sun: January 2014: Defence lawyer blasts legal aid decisions that end costing taxpayers more court legal wrangling, delays

iPolitics: December 2013: Mandatory victim fines: It’s not about justice

Ottawa Citizen: December 2013: Brockville judge criticizes colleagues who skirt victims fine surcharge law

iPolitics: December 2013: Presumed guilty: DNA and the police

iPolitics: November 2013: C-13: A digital Trojan horse for the surveillance state

The Chronicle Herald: November 2013: Cybercrime bill raises worries

CTV News: November 2013: Ex-PMO counsel Benjamin Perrin may face B.C. Law Society investigation

iPolitics: November 2013: Walking a razor’s edge in the Senate scandal

Toronto Sun: November 2013: Peter MacKay lashes out over judges’ rebellion to victim fines

Ottawa Citizen: November 2013: Ottawa judges thumbing noses at strict new victims’ surcharge rules

Global News: September 2013: Conservative Party lawyer directed robocall questions during investigation: documents

Postmedia: September 2013: Party lawyer’s presence in robocall witness interviews may pose problems, lawyers say

Ottawa Citizen: September 2013: SIU won’t investigate Ottawa police use-of-force incident

Ottawa Citizen: September 2013: Two charged after mêlée with police officers in Market

Metro News: September 2013: Accused criminals clog up Ottawa court system on bail bungling

Liberal Senate Forum: June 2013: Statement by Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer

Ottawa Citizen: June 2013: Ottawa jail guard fired after battering brain-damaged prisoner, ombudsman’s report reveals

Metro News: June 2013: Defence lawyers slam treatment of inmates following abuse report

Liberal Senate Forum: May 2013: Statement by Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer

Ottawa Citizen: April 2013: Jail suit exchange aims to keep defendants innocent of fashion crimes

Ottawa Sun: March 2013: Cellphone ruling hits all the right buttons

CBC: February 2013: Client Found Not guilty of Second Degree Murder

Metro News: November 2012: OPS use of force statistics fishy: defence lawyer

Ottawa Citizen: October 2012: What makes a “gang member” in the eyes of the law

CBC: August, 2012: Ottawa Police Take to Twitter

CBC: January 2012: Ottawa Lawyers back call for police cameras

Lawyers Weekly: December 2011: Feds ‘pandering, says CLA exec

CBC: Nov 2011: Opposition MPs try again to amend crime bill

Green Party: November 2011: Omnibus Crime Bill off Target

iPolitics: February 2011: Justice Committee asks to hear from more witnesses on Bill C-54

Ottawa Sun: February 2011: Accused sex shop robber acquitted

Ottawa Sun: February 2011: Response to Toronto Sun Article

Toronto Sun: February 2011: Lawyers group says bill aimed at perverts too tough

Liberal Senate Forum: June 2011: Statement by Hon. Art Eggleton

Liberal Senate Forum: June 2010: Statement by Hon. Lillian Eva Dyke

Law Times: December 2010: Ottawa Cops Under Fire

Ottawa Sun: December 2010: Break-in rap dismissed, judge cites ‘troubling’ police action

Capital News: April 2010: Same Offences, Different Consequences

Liberal Senate Forum: October 2009: Statement by Hon. Serge Joyal

Liberal Senate Forum: June 2009: Statement by Hon. Serge Joyal

Ottawa Citizen: November 2008: Acquittal in Ottawa Underpass Stabbing

CBC: November 2008: Ottawa man found not guilty in fatal Rideau underpass stabbing

Publications

Canadian Lawyer: November 2023: Why AG Doug Downey’s rejection of judicial candidates calls his motivations into question: Spratt

Canadian Lawyer: November 2023: The best tool against Poilievre is what any slippery witness deserves: aggressive cross-examination

Canadian Lawyer: October 2023: Legalized cannabis still has a problem: broader search and seizure police powers

Canadian Lawyer September 2023: The Liberal’s Bill C-48, which toughens bail conditions, is not ‘smart on crime.’ It’s dumb policy

Canadian Lawyer: September 2023: The unofficial police presence on social media tells us a lot

Canadian Lawyer: July 2023: Political posturing about Paul Bernardo’s case is undermining the rule of law

Canadian Lawyer: June 2023: Barring police uniforms in schools is a valid response to the concerns of marginalized students

Canadian Lawyer: May 2023: Defence lawyers don’t advocate for their own interests, they advocate for justice

Canadian Lawyer: April 2023: We need to stop the FullStop

Canadian Lawyer: March 2023: Municipal police boards should do their job of holding the cops to account

Canadian Lawyer: February 2023: Rouleau’s Emergencies Act report has sharp words for the Ottawa Police Service

Canadian Lawyer: January 2023: Ontario’s chief justice selection process should not be politicized by Ford and Downey

Canadian Lawyer: January 2023: Why sending unsolicited dick pics should be a criminal offence

Canadian Lawyer: December 2022: Dubious crime statistics: a disturbing trend of police and media misleading the public

Canadian Lawyer: November 2022: Doug Ford finally paid the price for his efforts to ignore the Charter and break democracy

Globe and Mail: October 2022: Mandatory minimum penalties harm the justice system

Canadian Lawyer: October 2022: Doug Ford needs to show up and tell the truth at the Public Order Emergency Commission

Canadian Lawyer: October 2022: What southerners can learn from the North about dispensing justice

Canadian Lawyer: September 2022: A day in the life of a defence lawyer is about so much more than court

Canadian Lawyer: August 2022: It is time to address the onslaught of abuse faced by women and BIPOC journalists

Canadian Lawyer: August 2022: The Alberta government is ripping apart legal aid

Canadian Lawyer: June 2022: The Canadian Armed Forces has failed to deal with sexual harassment and assault

Canadian Lawyer: May 2022: The Depp/Heard trial provides the perfect argument against broadcasting court proceedings

Canadian Lawyer: May 2022: Canada’s jury system does not adequately address racism and bias

Canadian Lawyer: April 2022: Our justice system should not go back to normal pre-COVID days

Canadian Lawyer: April 2022: R. v. Sharma puts SCC’s commitment to facing injustice against Indigenous people to the test

Canadian Lawyer: March 2022: Walking an ethical razor’s edge in making Tamara Lich’s bail hearing political

Canadian Lawyer: February 2022: Let’s get over political absurdity on gun control and get to real solutions in Canada

Canadian Lawyer: February 2022: Canada didn’t become a police state after a peaceful protest in Ottawa

Canadian Lawyer: December 2021: Trudeau’s new law to protect health care workers will make no real difference

Ottawa Citizen: December 2021: Council should say no to increasing the Ottawa police budget

Canadian Lawyer: November 2021: Canada’s great criminal defence brain drain

Canadian Lawyer: November 2021: Tying legal aid to a guilty plea creates the worst kind of incentive

Canadian Lawyer: October 2021: Ford use of the notwithstanding clause for election law was never about protecting democracy

Canadian Lawyer: September 2021: The election confirmed that Quebec does indeed have a problem with racism

Canadian Lawyer: July 2021: Sending a private investigator to follow a judge is not about ‘defending constitutional freedom’

Canadian Lawyer: July 2021: Ford and Downey put their law and order promises into action in Justices of the Peace appointments

Ottawa Citizen: June 2021: Ottawa police and prosecutors were given a new power to unclog the court system. They’ve barely used it

Canadian Lawyer: June 2021: Trudeau government plays politics with pardon reform

Canadian Lawyer: June 2021: Ontario prison inmate vaccination program a failure

Maclean’s: May 2021: Someone must police the police

Canadian Lawyer: May 2021: Our criminal courts are controlled by unaccountable anonymous jail guards

Canadian Lawyer: April 2021: The revival of the Law Reform Commission is money well spent in Freeland’s budget

Canadian Lawyer: April 2021: Coded language from police officers is racism

Canadian Lawyer: April 2021: No-knock police raids need to stop

Maclean’s: April 2021: The life of a litigation bag

Canadian Lawyer: March 2021: Doug Ford is using the pandemic as a cover for partisan changes to the judicial appointments process

Canadian Lawyer: March 2021: Federal government’s new legislation on diverting minor drug offences does not go far enough

Canadian Lawyer: February 2021: Systemic racism is not irrelevant in sentencing Black offenders

Canadian Lawyer: February 2021: Criminal Code needs reforming: Let’s breathe life back into the Law Reform Commission

Canadian Lawyer: January 2021: There is no reason to delay vaccinating prisoners

Toronto Star: January 2021: When politicians turn a blind eye to abuse in jails a culture of impunity is legitimized

Canadian Lawyer: January 2021: We need to stop ballooning police budgets across Canada

Canadian Lawyer: November 2020: When an acquittal can mean no warm clothes to protect from winter’s chill

Canadian Lawyer: November 2020: Solitary confinement is a form of torture

Canadian Lawyer: October 2020: The U.S. justice system is broken

Canadian Lawyer: October 2020: Chalking on sidewalks is not a crime

Canadian Lawyer: September 2020: Why body cameras for police are a bad idea

Canadian Lawyer: September 2020: Ontario’s plan to build new prisons is wrongheaded

Canadian Lawyer: August 2020: Morneau should watch his back in light of RCMP investigation

Canadian Lawyer: August 2020: Police require more training in Charter rights

Canadian Lawyer: July 2020: Police wrong to detain anti-racism protesters

Canadian Lawyer: July 2020: Mandatory minimum sentences should be recognized as failed sentencing practice

Canadian Lawyer: June 2020: Canada can – and should – facilitate release of the Two Michaels

Canadian Lawyer: June 2020: Racism in Canada is real, despite the deniers

Canadian Lawyer: June 2020: COVID-19’s profound impact on justice

Canadian Lawyer: May 2020: Cuts to Legal Aid Ontario will be obvious post-pandemic

Canadian Lawyer: May 2020: The government’s hypocrisy around COVID-19

Ottawa Citizen: April 2020: COVID crackdown – Too many rules, too much punishment will jeopardize public support

Canadian Lawyer: April 2020: How will courts function after COVID-19?

Canadian Lawyer: April 2020: COVID-19 and the state

Ottawa Citizen: March 2020: Our jails are a petri dish for the rapid spread of coronavirus. Let’s release non-violent inmates

Canadian Lawyer: March 2020: COVID-19 and Ontario’s courts

Canadian Lawyer: March 2020: Opioid crisis lends weight to argument for decriminalization

Canadian Lawyer: February 2020: Peter MacKay’s record on the justice file should be enough to lose him the leadership bid

Canadian Lawyer: February 2020: Lametti’s sexual assault judicial training bill is all woke style, no substance

Canadian Lawyer: January 2020: “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign and the reality of Ontario’s jails

Canadian Lawyer: January 2020: Where is Ottawa when provincial cuts gut the criminal legal aid system?

CBC Opinion: December 2019: ‘Smarter and stronger’? New law is really a cruel gutting of access to justice for the impoverished

Canadian Lawyer: December 2019: The Ontario Auditor General’s damning report

Ottawa Citizen: December 2019: Everyone loses as the effects of legal-aid cut hit Ottawa

Canadian Lawyer: November 2019: Another minimum sentence bites the dust

Canadian Lawyer: November 2019: Ontario’s judiciary doesn’t need fixing

Canadian Lawyer: October 2019: A wish list for federal justice reform

Canadian Lawyer: October 2019: Criminal justice policy should be publicly debated during election campaigns

Canadian Lawyer: September 2019: Trudeau Liberals failed on justice file

Canadian Lawyer: September 2019: Reactionary legislating makes for bad law

Canadian Lawyer: August 2019: When Legal Aid is a political prop, Access to justice suffers

Canadian Lawyer: August 2019: Brawling in professional sports: A criminal-law perspective

Canadian Lawyer: July 2019: More is needed than judicial education for sexual assault law

Canadian Lawyer: July 2019: CCTV cameras don’t deter crime, so why does Ottawa want them?

Canadian Lawyer: June 2019: Ontario needs another Leslie Frost, not another Caroline Mulroney

Canadian Lawyer: June 2019: Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples fits the definition of ‘genocide’

CBC Opinion: June 2019: Ford’s cuts to legal aid will end up costing Ontario way more than they save

Canadian Lawyer: May 2019: The judicial system can’t withstand political interference

Canadian Lawyer: April 2019: Ontario’s legal aid cuts leave David unarmed against Goliath

Canadian Lawyer: April 2019: The legality and morality of covert phone-call-recording

Canadian Lawyer: March 2019: SNC-Lavalin affair raises the issue of the role of former judges

Doing Peach the Right Way, Essays in International Law and Relations in Honour of Louise Arbour: March 2019: Intersentia publishing, ISBN 9781780683546

Canadian Lawyer: March 2019: Gerald Butts’ quarrel with Jody Wilson-Raybould’s evidence falls short

Ottawa Citizen: March 2019: Spratt and McAleese: Canada’s record suspension system is punitive and must be fixed

Canadian Lawyer: February 2019: The real scandal in the SNC-Lavalin affair

Canadian Lawyer: February 2019: SNC-Lavalin controversy could contain key to Wilson-Raybould’s shortcomings

Canadian Layer: January 2019: Don’t expect new justice minister to deliver on progressive criminal justice reform

Canadian Lawyer: January 2019: The presumption of innocence is for the court of law, not for protecting the reputations of the powerful

Canadian Lawyer: December 2018: Who is the best fictional lawyer of all-time?

Canadian Lawyer: November 2018: Want to help Pro Bono Ontario? Lower your fees

Canadian Lawyer: November 2018: Scheer’s guns and gangs strategy a simple plan for simple minds

Canadian Lawyer: November 2018: Broken promises in C-75

Canadian Lawyer: October 2018: After the destructive fool’s errand of pot prohibition, expungement now!

Canadian Lawyer: October 2018: Kavanaugh confirmation sows decades of judicial distrust