Omnibus crime bill 14 months later — how’s it playing out in court
OTTAWA — More than a year after the government’s controversial omnibus crime bill became law, a lengthy response to a written question in the House of Commons is shedding some light on how it’s played...
View ArticleOmbudsman unveils Victims’ Bill of Rights wish list, 3-year term renewed
OTTAWA — Renewed for another three-year term Monday, Canada’s ombudsman for victims of crime has unveiled a wish list for the new Victims’ Bill of Rights that could include enhanced powers for her...
View ArticleManslaughter conviction thrown out over lack of aboriginals in Ontario jury pool
Ontario’s top court ordered a new trial Friday for a man convicted of killing his friend after concluding that his rights had been violated because the province failed to ensure adequate aboriginal...
View ArticleNDP MP urges government to back cyberbullying bill
OTTAWA — New Democrat MP Robert Chisholm says he’s hopeful the federal government will lend its support to his private member’s bill or quickly put forward its own legislation to make the...
View ArticleSolicitor-client privilege, Federal Court diversity to be debated by lawyers
OTTAWA — It’s time for the Canadian government to come up with a clear policy to address issues of solicitor-client privilege when lawyers are asked to hand over their laptops and smart phones to...
View ArticleJustice Minister and Attorney General Peter MacKay reveals justice priorities...
OTTAWA — When newly minted Justice Minister and Attorney General Peter MacKay addresses the Canadian Bar Association for the first time on Monday, don’t expect him to follow in the footsteps of his...
View ArticleCanadian Bar Association urges federal government to boost legal aid funding
Canada’s justice system has become out of reach for many of those who need it most, according to a new report by the Canadian Bar Association that calls on the federal government to restore legal aid...
View ArticleEconomic implications of legalizing marijuana, fining for possession up for...
OTTAWA — Liberal leader Justin Trudeau wants it legalized. Canadian cops want to fine people for simple possession. Forget jobs and the economy, it seems marijuana is back on the public agenda. Still,...
View ArticleBLOG: U of O profs battle over legal point ahead of school debut
Canadian politicians are fessing up to smoking pot. OTTAWA — It could be an awkward first day of school on Tuesday for two University of Ottawa law professors who’ve been duking it out all week over...
View ArticlePrime Minister Stephen Harper unveils plan to toughen sentences for child...
OTTAWA — The federal government is again targeting child predators with new legislation in the fall that will impose harsher sentences for child pornographers and pedophiles. The new Tougher Penalties...
View ArticlePrime Minister chides Justin Trudeau, but says he’ll look into police...
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s decision to unveil his party’s policy on pot before the economy shows “poor judgment,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday. However, at the same time the prime...
View ArticleNew laws proposed for child sex tourists
The federal government is getting even tougher on child predators at home and abroad, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday as he unveiled plans for a publicly accessible national sex offender...
View ArticleNDP MP Pat Martin says union donation scrutiny is tough enough
OTTAWA — Under fire for accepting donations from trade unions to help pay off a massive debt incurred in a defamation lawsuit related to the robocalls affair, New Democrat MP Pat Martin says he was...
View ArticlePrison watchdog raises concerns about inmate self-injury, 6 years after death...
OTTAWA — Canada’s prison watchdog says chronic self-injury among female inmates remains a challenge for corrections workers who continue to turn to pepper spray, segregation, physical restraints,...
View ArticleFederal Appeal’s Court Judge Marc Nadon latest Supreme Court nominee
OTTAWA — Within moments of his nomination to Canada’s highest court, Federal Appeal’s Court Justice Marc Nadon came under fire for being a man. While his nomination maintains the critical regional...
View ArticleSecurity certificates, Senate and sex offenders all on the agenda for Supreme...
OTTAWA – From the future of the beleaguered Senate, to the constitutionality of security certificates, Canada’s top court is in for a busy fall session. The court will face some of these cases with...
View ArticleConservative crime agenda to keep Parliament busy this fall
OTTAWA – If you thought the federal Conservatives had completed their “tough-on-crime” agenda by now, think again. Justice policy plays to the party’s base of supporters, is hard for the opposition to...
View ArticleComplaint against justice minister over comments on Justin Trudeau’s pot use...
OTTAWA — The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society has dismissed a complaint against Attorney General Peter MacKay, whose comments about Justin Trudeau’s pot smoking struck a nerve with an outspoken...
View ArticleNew Supreme Court Justice Marc Nadon won’t hear cases pending legal challenge...
OTTAWA – It’s been a tough first week for Canada’s newest Supreme Court justice, who says he won’t participate in matters before the court just yet because his appointment is now the subject of a legal...
View ArticleOpposition blames Harper government for shorthanded Supreme Court bench
OTTAWA — The opposition is raising concerns about a shorthanded bench after newly minted Supreme Court Justice Marc Nadon stepped aside pending the outcome of a legal challenge to his appointment. Both...
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