Category: Criminal Page 7 of 39

Case Commented On: R v Ibrahim, 2019 ONCA 631 (CanLII)

W(D), [1991] 1 SCR 742, is entrenched in our justice system. This seminal Supreme Court of Canada decision provides a tight three-pronged approach to the application of reasonable doubt to the oft divergent evidence from the prosecution and the defence. W(D) has been considered, re-considered, and applied over 10,100 times since its release in 1991. It serves as a continual source of discussion and inspiration for scholars like me. Although the principle in and of itself is not overly complex, it is in the application of the principle to complex and unique scenarios that can raise unforeseen or even novel W(D) issues. In this post, I will consider R v Ibrahim, 2019 ONCA 631, a recent decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal, tackling the thorny issue of applying W(D) to objective mens rea offences. This will also require a detailed discussion on objective and subjective mens rea. The purpose of this robust and far reaching discussion is not to outline the differences between the two forms of liability but to appreciate the similarities. Although objective and subjective mens rea have differing aspects and sightlines, they are part of a continuum of awareness, which is key to understanding what makes conduct a crime. Such exploration is necessary to expand our understanding of why – and how – W(D) matters. For more background on subjective and objective mens rea, read my previous article on “The Subjective/Objective Debate Explained.”

Engaging the Criminal Justice System Through JH v Alberta Health Services

By Lisa Silver

On August 7, 2019

In Criminal, Health Law

By: Lisa Silver

PDF Version: Engaging the Criminal Justice System Through JH v Alberta Health Services

Case Commented On: JH v Alberta Health Services, 2019 ABQB 540 (Can LII)

We often assume the contours of the criminal justice system are clearly delineated in law and in fact. For a lawyer, every criminal case is immediately identifiable by its style of cause, the ubiquitous “Regina v”. For the non-lawyer, criminal law is a standout in media reports, providing eye catching headlines and a riveting Saturday morning read. We may not know every criminal offence abounding in Canadian law, even though s 19 of the Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46– which provides that ignorance of the law is no excuse – suggests we should, but we certainly know crime when we see it. What we are less successful at identifying are those situations where the criminal justice system merely lurks in the background chatter of a decision or when the factual matrix does not involve overtly criminal behaviour. In those less obvious scenarios, the case narratives do not engage our interest so readily. In short, we miss the criminal law-ness of the situation. Yet, in these cases, the criminal justice system is, in fact, fully engaged but we criminal law observers simply miss the connection. By missing this connection, we may not appreciate the impact of the case. Instead, we misfile the decision or, worse yet, dismiss the decision as unimportant or inapplicable. By failing to read between the lines, we are missing out on the richness offered by interdisciplinary case law. The recent Alberta Queen’s Bench decision of Madam Justice Kristine Eidsvik in JH v Alberta Health Services, 2019 ABQB 540, is a good example of a case that transcends the purported area of interest – it is a mental health law decision that engages larger issues borrowed from the criminal justice system. In JH, the criminal justice system is fully engaged and plays a vital role in the outcome.

R v Shoemaker: Alberta Court of Appeal Tells Corrections Canada to Follow Its Own Rules

By Amy Matychuk

On August 1, 2019

In Constitutional, Criminal

By: Amy Matychuk

PDF Version: R v Shoemaker: Alberta Court of Appeal Tells Corrections Canada to Follow Its Own Rules

Case Commented On: R v Shoemaker, 2019 ABCA 266 (Can LII)

In R v Shoemaker, Justices Marina Paperny, Frans Slatter, and Kevin Feehan for the Alberta Court of Appeal (ABCA) overturned Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench (ABQB) Justice K. D. Yamauchi’s decision dismissing Mr Shoemaker’s application for habeas corpus. Mr Shoemaker applied for habeas corpus after he was involuntarily transferred from the medium and minimum security Drumheller Institution to the maximum security Edmonton Institution. The ABCA held that Mr Shoemaker did not have a reasonable opportunity to prepare and provide representations responding to the reasons for his transfer or to seek the assistance of legal counsel. He was denied these opportunities because Correctional Service Canada (CSC) did not follow the procedural safeguards for inmates as set out in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, SC 1992, c 20 (CCRA), the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations, SOR/92-620 (CCRR), and CSC’s internal directives. This post is part of my ongoing series on habeas corpus litigation in Alberta. For more background, see my previous posts from May 2017, July 2017, and February 2018.

Constable Convicted of Aggravated Assault in Police Brutality Case

By Serena Eshaghurshan

On July 3, 2019

In Criminal

By: Serena Eshaghurshan

PDF Version: Constable Convicted of Aggravated Assault in Police Brutality Case

Case Commented On: R v Lindsay, 2019 ABQB 462 (CanLII)

In May 2019, the Honourable Mr. Justice Michael J. Lema of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (ABQB) heard a trial regarding an aggravated assault case. Despite attempting to rely on s 25 (Protection of Persons Administering and Enforcing the Law) and s 34 (Defence of Person) of the Criminal Code, RSC 1985 c C-46, Calgary Police Service (CPS) Constable Trevor Lindsay was convicted of aggravated assault in relation to Daniel Haworth, a man who was under his arrest.

Alberta Court of Appeal Broadens the Scope of Offences for Conditional Discharges

By Serena Eshaghurshan

On May 29, 2019

In Criminal, Sentencing

By: Serena Eshaghurshan

PDF Version: Alberta Court of Appeal Broadens the Scope of Offences for Conditional Discharges

Case Commented On: R v Chowdhury, 2019 ABCA 205

In May 2019, the Alberta Court of Appeal (ABCA) heard an appeal for a dangerous driving causing bodily harm case. The appellant, Mr. Chowdhury, sought a conditional discharge, but the sentencing Judge refused to grant one. Mr. Chowdhury appealed his sentence and was surprisingly granted a conditional discharge, the first of its kind for this offence.

Category: Criminal Page 7 of 39

W(D) Strikes Again!

Engaging the Criminal Justice System Through JH v Alberta Health Services

R v Shoemaker: Alberta Court of Appeal Tells Corrections Canada to Follow Its Own Rules

Constable Convicted of Aggravated Assault in Police Brutality Case

Alberta Court of Appeal Broadens the Scope of Offences for Conditional Discharges