Criminal
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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.
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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.