Criminal
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February 06, 2026
Lawyers charged with crimes may claim ‘innocence at stake’ to pierce solicitor-client privilege: SCC
The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld 7-2 the acquittal of a Saskatchewan criminal defence counsel charged with attempting to obstruct justice, ruling for the first time that lawyers charged with a crime may invoke the “innocence at stake” exception to solicitor‑client privilege to seek access to their client’s privileged communications for use in their own defence.
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February 06, 2026
B.C. appoints 12 new sheriffs to provincial courthouses
B.C. has announced that 12 new sheriffs will be posted to provincial courthouses in communities across the province.
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February 06, 2026
B.C. launches free platform for virtual court services help
B.C. has introduced a new centralized virtual counter service for people to receive free help and advice in navigating the court system from anywhere in the province.
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February 06, 2026
EVIDENCE - Admissibility - Private communications - Inadmissible interceptions - Privileged communications
Appeal by the Crown from a judgment of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal which affirmed the acquittal of Fox. Fox was a criminal defence lawyer whose client was the subject of wiretap authorization.
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February 05, 2026
Appeal Court addresses sentencing challenges for multi-million-dollar fraudsters
At one time, the only guidance the Criminal Code provided to sentencing judges was the minimum and maximum sentences applicable to crimes. Although criticized by a Sentencing Commission, denunciation and deterrence became key sentencing considerations and were even incorporated into the Code.
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February 05, 2026
Judges must use restraint when sentencing youthful, first-time offenders: lawyer
Sentencing judges must consider the “restraint principle” when dealing with youthful offenders lacking a criminal record, says the lawyer of a young tow truck driver convicted of drug and gun crimes.
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February 05, 2026
B.C. announces community advisory group to tackle extortion
B.C. Premier David Eby and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Nina Krieger have announced that a community advisory group will be established to support the province’s ongoing investigations to fight extortion.
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February 05, 2026
Household goods as hostages: Why enforcement must catch up to ‘rogue mover’ scams
Every week in the Greater Toronto Area, consumers seek help with a problem that is difficult to believe until it becomes familiar: a moving company offers an attractive quote, loads a household’s belongings into a truck and then demands thousands of dollars more before releasing the goods.
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February 05, 2026
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Legal rights - Trial within a reasonable time
Appeal by Crown from stays of proceedings entered under s. 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for unreasonable delay. The respondents, Singh and Narang, were charged with drug trafficking offences following Project Cheetah (project), an 11-month interagency investigation into cross-border drug trafficking involving dozens of accused in multiple jurisdictions.
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February 04, 2026
Alberta seeking greater role in judicial appointments, threatens to withhold funding for judges
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is asking the federal government for a greater say in judicial appointments and has threatened to withdraw funding to support any new judicial appointments in the province unless a more collaborative process is set up. In an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith also said Ottawa needs to relax bilingualism requirements for judicial appointments “that do not reflect Canada’s broader linguistic diversity in Western Canada and alienates Albertans and western Canadians alike.”