Criminal
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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.”
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February 03, 2026
The open court principle versus reputational loss
The open court principle is a powerful doctrine that has been inextricably linked to the rights guaranteed by s. 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The principle permits public access to information about the court, which, in turn, fosters the public to discuss, opine and criticize court practices and proceedings. As well, the principle permits members of the public to obtain information about the courts and the cases that are heard by them.
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February 03, 2026
Counsel conduct leads to mistrial in Nova Scotia Court of Appeal
In many instances, the claim on appeal is that the accused received ineffective assistance of counsel. A claim of ineffective assistance can result in a new trial if it is shown that counsel’s acts or omissions fell below the standard of reasonable professional assistance and resulted in an unfair trial or a miscarriage of justice. It is rare for a trial in a provincial court to be adjourned because an accused person makes a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel midway through the trial. Yet such was the case in R. v. MacQuarrie, 2026 NSPC 5.
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February 03, 2026
Poverty big factor contributing to mass incarceration of Indigenous people in Saskatchewan: lawyer
Poverty is driving the high number of imprisoned Indigenous people in Saskatchewan, says a lawyer. Brady Knight, a Saskatoon-based criminal lawyer, calls the issue of Indigenous mass incarceration in the province “a concerning and pressing problem.”
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February 03, 2026
When compassion replaces accountability in Ontario’s animal welfare system
The recent decision of Ontario’s Animal Care Review Board (ACRB) to reduce a $108,928 cost recovery order — subsequently conceded by the respondent, the chief animal inspector, to be $101,771.64 — to $10,000 following the seizure of 64 dogs (55 miniature poodles; one Maltese; one shih tzu; one German shepherd; four poodle/Maltese puppies; and two miniature poodle puppies) from a Hamilton residence raises troubling questions not only about accountability in cases of large-scale animal neglect but also about the structural limits of Ontario’s animal welfare regime.
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February 02, 2026
Decision in much delayed drug trial proves Jordan must be applied flexibly
The Supreme Court of Canada has set a presumptive ceiling for delay at 18 months for cases tried in provincial court (R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27). When an accused’s right to a speedy trial under s. 11(b) of the Charter is violated, charges should be stayed under s. 24(1) of the Charter.
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February 02, 2026
Access to Justice Week B.C. speaks to importance of system that evolves, listens and learns, AG says
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma is marking Access to Justice Week by reaffirming the province’s commitment to building a justice system that is “responsive, inclusive and accessible.”
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February 02, 2026
Court of Quebec appoints new judge and justice of the peace magistrate
Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette has announced the appointment of a judge and a justice of the peace magistrate to the Court of Quebec.