October 15, 2026
The Alberta Court of Appeal has partially allowed Christopher John Barron’s sentence appeal, reducing his global sentence after finding that the sentencing judge had punished him twice for the same conduct (R. v. Barron, 2026 ABCA 270).
October 15, 2026
Segregation is seen as a necessary and justifiable punishment for maintaining safety and order in a prison. But as I presided over more than 900 disciplinary hearings in B.C. provincial prisons, it became clear that the practice failed to achieve its purpose. Rather than rehabilitating, it made prisoners worse, creating a revolving door.
October 14, 2026
Keeping up with the speed of money, working with limited resources and assisting judges with gaps in their technical knowledge were among the challenges under the spotlight at a recent legal conference about cybercrime and crypto fraud.
October 14, 2026
The 1939 film adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz includes this famous scene.
October 09, 2026
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has announced the appointment of Justice Thomas Rothwell to the Court of Appeal of Alberta and Malcolm M. Lavoie to the Court of King’s Bench.
October 09, 2026
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has announced the appointment of Paul J. Mongenais and Peter D. Ruby to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
October 09, 2026
For lawyers, some issues extend beyond protecting rights and freedoms. A core concern is the risk of letting a rigid rule determine an outcome before examining the matter’s substance.
October 08, 2026
Just weeks after Canada’s government created a chief firearms officer for the country’s northern territories, the Yukon has tabled legislation that would allow for the creation of its own “firearms advocate.” On Oct. 7, Yukon’s government introduced the Yukon Firearms Act — a law being proposed in a bid “to support responsible firearm owners” in the territory.
October 08, 2026
British Columbia Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie has announced the appointment of Matthew Turnell, Manpreet Mand and David Jenkins as provincial court judges.
October 08, 2026
When governments confront crime, a familiar political response is to build more jails, put more people behind bars and keep them there longer. It sounds reassuring, but it also confuses punishment with public safety.