Criminal
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February 11, 2026
Saskatchewan Appeal Court explores self-defence in assault case
Criminal court judges must be “alive” to any “air of reality” to self-defence claims in assault cases, says a lawyer acting in a matter where an online argument turned into a fight involving a baseball bat and skateboard.
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February 11, 2026
Student paper snapshots in animal law: Limits of Canada’s animal welfare recognition
Next in my animal law student paper snapshot series, I’m highlighting a research paper on cetaceans by my animal law student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, Isabella Schopper.
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February 11, 2026
Five years for Snapchat-facilitated child sexual offences in B.C., and what it signals for sentencing
A recent Campbell River, B.C., case in which a 33-year-old Surrey, B.C., man received a five-year penitentiary sentence after pleading guilty to child sexual offences involving a youth he met on Snapchat is a reminder of how digital communications continue to increase in relevancy within the criminal justice system.
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February 10, 2026
B.C. marks Safer Internet Day, notes progress in online safety
British Columbia’s Attorney General Niki Sharma has marked International Safer Internet Day by highlighting legislative measures and actions the province has taken for online safety.
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February 10, 2026
Federal listing of plastic manufactured items as ‘toxic’ may soon land on top court’s steps
The Federal Court of Appeal’s recent judgment that Ottawa reasonably added plastic manufactured items to the federal list of “toxic” substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), enabling the regulation of single-use plastics under s. 93 of the Act, may soon head to the Supreme Court of Canada.
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February 10, 2026
Newfoundland Court of Appeal finds errors in lawyer’s acquittal, orders retrial
From 1989 to 2021, Robert Regular’s name appeared frequently in Newfoundland newspapers. In July 2021, Regular sought a publication ban on his name before the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, arguing that he was a “prominent lawyer” with a career spanning more than three decades and a thriving practice that included several employees and associate lawyers. He said that having his name publicized would have significant professional, social and emotional impacts, especially since some allegations involved a minor.
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February 10, 2026
Ontario lawyers could learn a lesson from Alberta Law Foundation’s funding dilemma
Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey could learn a thing or two about stretching a dollar from his Alberta compatriot, Mickey Amery. Progressive Ontario lawyers, meanwhile, may soon have to put their money where their mouth is on hard questions of justice funding, economic reality and what it truly means for civil society organizations to operate at arm’s length from government.
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February 10, 2026
APPEALS - Grounds - Insufficient reasons - Mixed question of law and fact
Appeal by Stuart from sexual assault convictions. The appellant was convicted of sexual assault and criminal harassment. The charge for sexual assault arose from an incident which, after having stayed overnight at the appellant’s home, the complainant awoke to find the appellant pulling her underwear off.
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February 09, 2026
Policing inspector orders probe after Toronto police officer arrests
Ontario’s inspector general of policing is launching a province-wide inspection of police integrity and anti-corruption practices after seven Toronto Police Service officers were arrested in a seven-month-long organized crime and corruption investigation.
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February 09, 2026
Parole hearing spotlights need to recognize reality of con code and rethink incarceration
Lawyers and professionals who work with inmates in penitentiaries have long been aware of an unwritten set of rules that, if broken, carries the death penalty. That set of rules is quickly learned by new arrivals at jails across Canada and is referred to as the “inmate code” or, more frequently, the “con code.” A news report published in the Toronto Star on Feb. 6, 2026, reminds the public that serving a prison sentence is far harsher than being locked away from society.