Judge slams Ontario for still detaining man in psychiatric hospital six years after he was deemed fit to leave, by Alyshah Sanmati Hasham for Toronto Star thestar.com/news/gta/2020/…

Did you know more people are held in custody awaiting a bail hearing or trial than in custody as a result of a criminal conviction in our country. Did you also know that our #Charter guarantees these same people a right not to be denied reasonable bail & to be presumed innocent.

R. v. J.A., 2020 ONCA 660: The governing bail case on COVID-19's impact, particularly for a bail review. ontariocourts.ca/decisions/2020…

Legal aid clinics in Ontario are still open for business and here to help people with their legal problems. Check our website to find out your nearest clinic and give them a call. legalaid.on.ca/legal-clinics/

Bias behind bars: Risk assessments are used by the Correctional Service of Canada to place, treat and release federal inmates. But, as our two-year investigation found, they're also biased against Black and Indigenous people theglobeandmail.com/canada/article… #cdnpoli

Another Norhdeimer J.A. dissent, another case headed toward Ottawa on search and seizure: ontariocourts.ca/decisions/2020…

Also breaking: Ont Sup Ct Justice Lorne Sossin ruled that Canada and Ontario student loans discriminated against a disabled student by not recognizing that disabled students may take longer to complete studies, which drives the interest costs up.

R. v. Randhawa, 2020 ONCA 668: Fresh evidence indicating remarkable + continued rehabilitative efforts re: #addiction & #mentalhealth of a youthful first-time offender admitted. No societal benefit from incarceration on the facts. Sentence appeal allowed. ontariocourts.ca/decisions/2020…

5-judge panel unanimously allows Riley appeal from the bench for reasons of Scanlan J.A. of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. Convictions quashed, new trial ordered. Great work from Nova Scotia Legal Aid

Senators are now discussing Senator Kim Pate's Bill #S207 at second reading in the Senate: ow.ly/mMpt50BFZBN #SenCA #cdnpoli

Oregon made history Tuesday in the movement to reconsider the nation’s war on drugs by becoming the first state to decriminalize small amounts of heroin and other street drugs. oregonlive.com/politics/2020/…

The Supreme Court is going to consider the starting point approach in sentencing: R v Felix, 2019 ABCA 458

MUST-READ FOR CRIMINAL LAYWYERS: Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled today that placing seriously mental ill prisoners in solitary confinement for *any* amount of time violates their Charter Rights. This. Is. Huge. Francis v. Ontario, 2021 ONCA 197 ontariocourts.ca/decisions/2021…

Today the #GC announced an important next step toward the creation of an independent Criminal Case Review Commission for potentially wrongfully convicted individuals.

Some fantastic news today from Min of Justice/Attorney General of Canada. Reforms are coming to Pardons/Record Suspensions which will reduce wait periods for obtaining a pardon to three years for summary offences and five years for indictable offences. canada.ca/en/public-safe…

Hey #lawtwitter - breaking news from Alberta. Decision not yet available online, but Alta CA in R v Brown has upheld s 33.1 of the Code, disagreeing with Sullivan. SCC gets its chance at this in October.

We view this national commitment as a major breakthrough to address systemic racism. The preparation of EPSRs & a national legal education program for justice system registrants will hopefully reduce the reliance on incarceration and advance rehabilitation for racialized people.

Supreme Court’s fall clean-up: Nearly 40 years after Charter’s birth, judges must settle old questions again /via The Globe and Mail theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

1/3 Min. Mendicino announces the #GoC is reducing the cost of applying for a #RecordSuspension (#pardon) from $657.77 to $50. The change occurs Jan 1, 2022. Learn more: ow.ly/gOIe50HgyNo