In a recent decision, R v Friesen the Supreme Court of Canada has instructed lower courts to be tougher when punishing sexual crimes against children, in landmark reasons for judgment that offer extensive and detailed guidance on principles of sentencing for sexual offences against children.

In a recent provincial court case, a man was pulled over for speeding in the early morning hours. After a brief conversation with police, the officer asked the driver to exit the vehicle so they could continue to speak on the side of the road (in my view, there was no need for the driver to exit the vehicle and this was a section 9 Charter violation). After exiting the vehicle, the driver admitted to consuming alcohol. As a result of the admission, the officer made an Approved Screening Device demand to test the sobriety of the driver. The driver blew a Fail and was arrested for impaired driving.

Sexual offences are incredibly complex and encompass many different charges under the Criminal Code. They are some of the most difficult offences to defend and require a lawyer with significant experience to help you navigate the criminal justice system.

A domestic assault charge has immediate and significant consequences including bail conditions prohibiting an accused from returning to their own residence and having no contact with the complainant or their children.

There are many types of drug charges in Canada such as drug possession, drug trafficking, drug importation and drug manufacturing.

The most common form of mischief is as a result of vandalism such as graffiti, breaking windows or other minor property damage. Despite the relatively minor sounding offence of “mischief”, the offence can carry significant penalties including up to 10 years in prison, a criminal record and impacts on employment opportunities.

After pleading guilty to one count of sexual interference, former MLA Don MacIntyre was sentenced to a three year federal sentence. The victim, was 10 years old at the time of the offence and said at the sentencing hearing the MacIntyre ruined her life and destroyed her childhood.

Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) officers have sworn to protect our borders and protect our citizens. Despite this sworn oath, there have been over 500 allegations of serious misconduct investigated over the past two years.

The accused was charged with operating a motor vehicle while his blood-alcohol level was over .08. At trial, a voir dire was held to determine whether the police officer breached the accused’s section 9 Charter right to not be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.

The Complainant testified that while at a house party, she was bent over in a bathroom vomiting into a toilet when a man known to her entered the bathroom and penetrated her from behind. Both the Complainant and accused were heavily intoxicated at the time. Police attended and arrested the accused.