Criminal
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April 09, 2026
Projects Picnic and Potluck are stark examples of surveillance overreach
It went mostly unnoticed at the time. There was no click on the line nor any strange echo. There was no warning. It was just an ordinary phone call. But this time, it was quietly copied, stored and filed away.
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April 09, 2026
ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENCE - Mens rea - Insanity or mental disorder - Finding of not criminally responsible
Appeal by Kipusi from his convictions for criminal harassment and breach of release conditions. He received a conditional sentence of five months followed by 15 months of probation. The appellant challenged his convictions and, in the alternative, his sentence.
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April 08, 2026
Restituted art: ‘Seated Man With a Cane’ returns home
The Nahmad family is one of the leading collectors of artworks in the world and are said to have amassed approximately 4,000 paintings worth about $4 billion, most of which I understand is stored in the Geneva Freeport in Switzerland. The patriarch of the family is David Nahmad, while his son Helly runs the Helly Nahmad Gallery in New York. Other members of the family are involved in different galleries in London and New York.
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April 08, 2026
U.S. decision suggests using generative AI may endanger privilege
Only three years after its release, one prominent AI platform is being used by more than 800 million people every week. — Justice J.S. Rakoff, United States District Court
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April 08, 2026
Newfoundland Court of Appeal demonstrates nuanced alternative to catch and release
Critics of Canada’s bail procedures argue that our police often practise “catch and release.” The term describes a situation where police, like fishermen, catch their prey and then release it back into the wild. The practice is criticized, even though the law aims to uphold the presumption of innocence and a person’s constitutional right to reasonable bail.
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April 08, 2026
The rule of law is not a given
Most of us who have grown up in Canada, whether we realize it or not, have always taken the rule of law for granted. We never really thought about it, or what it even was, but that is precisely the point. It has always just been there, like oxygen. You don’t think about oxygen until you have trouble breathing. We as a society are now having trouble breathing.
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April 08, 2026
Appeals - Misapprehension of or failure to consider evidence - Unreasonable verdict
Appeal by appellant from his conviction for possession of a loaded prohibited firearm and from the 20‑month custodial sentence imposed. Police executing a search warrant found the appellant alone in his small one‑bedroom condominium, roused from bed. A loaded, chambered Beretta handgun wrapped in clothing was located in an open shelving unit near the entrance.
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April 07, 2026
Successful appeal sees murder sentences changed from adult life to youth life
The phrase “boys will be boys” is sometimes used to dismiss or normalize male aggression, sexual misconduct and dangerous behaviour, effectively acting as a cultural or sometimes legal shield that hampers accountability for criminal actions. Should it?
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April 07, 2026
The view from below: Response to Michael Crowley
I appreciate Mr. Crowley taking the time to respond to my piece on my experience of parole, and I respect his position in doing so. He has many years of experience; I only had my one experience, some years ago now, and what I heard from other prisoners.
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April 02, 2026
Feds end firearms buyback program after 67K declared
The federal government has announced that the nation-wide declaration period for the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program for individuals ended March 31, with over 67,000 assault-style firearms being declared by 37,869 owners. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, however, called the program a failure as not all guns would be compensated.