Access to Justice
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January 26, 2026
Obscenity, the 2026 version, part two
Here are the six obscenity prosecutions for consideration.
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January 27, 2026
Are women safe in Ontario’s courthouses?
On Jan. 26, the Toronto Star reported on very serious allegations that criminal defence lawyer Sudine Riley has made against police serving as security in the Oshawa, Ont., courthouse. She says she was seriously assaulted by them while just doing her work in the ordinary course.
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January 26, 2026
B.C. appoints 3 provincial court judges
The British Columbia government has appointed Micah Rankin, Charles Hutchinson and Jodi Michaels as judges of the Provincial Court of B.C., according to the province.
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January 26, 2026
Obscenity, the 2026 version
It was around 1978 when the “comedy” duo of brothers Blair and Gary MacLean came to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
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January 26, 2026
Jury charge regarding exculpatory evidence, statements to police leads to new trial in murder case
It was big news, first reported in the Edmonton Journal on May 8, 2020. The RCMP responded to a report of an unresponsive man found near a rural Alberta roadside just after 8 a.m. on April 12. The death was later deemed a homicide following an autopsy in Edmonton a few days later. The body was identified as that of a 74-year-old Wetaskiwin man, Larry Parker.
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January 23, 2026
Nova Scotia opens fund for 2SLGBTQIA+ community groups
Nova Scotia has a new funding program for organizations serving the province’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
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January 23, 2026
OBA civil litigation award recipients encourage mentorship in the profession
The importance of mentorship and elevating young lawyers was a focal point of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Civil Dinner, which celebrates excellence in the bar. Both recipients of the OBA awards emphasized the vital position role models play in the profession.
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January 23, 2026
DULF constitutional challenge keeps sentencing on hold in B.C. trafficking case
Sentencing in the high-profile prosecution of members of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) remains on pause as the Supreme Court of British Columbia considers constitutional arguments that could have lasting implications for drug trafficking cases across the country, as well as for public health efforts to reduce the harms of the ongoing toxic drug crisis.
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January 22, 2026
New group to take on animal welfare in Saskatchewan
The job of protecting animals in Saskatchewan is changing hands.
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January 22, 2026
Student paper snapshots in animal law
For the past 10 years, I have enjoyed teaching animal law as an adjunct professor at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law in Vancouver. This year, I am showcasing snapshots from some of the thought-provoking research papers my students have produced.