Anita Kranjc Trial: Mischief for Giving Pigs Water? (20mins)
The Anita Kranjc trial is underway, and it has already raised a host of good legal questions. I explore them in this video blog. What is she being charged with? What will the Crown need to prove? Does she have any possible defences?
Forcillo Trial: What Comes Next? (10mins)
In this video blog, I examine the next stage of the Forcillo Trial. Though Officer Forcillo was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury, he has indicated a plan to try and have the proceedings stayed in a motion to be launched in May. How could this occur? I explain the legal issues in this blog.
The James Forcillo Trial (20mins)
This VLog examines the Forcillo trial, where a Toronto police officer is charged with murder after shooting the victim on a Toronto street car. I examine the nature of the offence, and how it is driven by the definition of murder – even though this case differs a great deal from the “ordinary” murder case. In particular, I consider whether …
Reversing the Burden of Proof in Summary Conviction Trials (10mins)
Talk about flying under the radar. Two days ago, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the case of R v Goleski from the bench. In the process, it confirmed that s. 794 imposes a burden of proof on the defendant to prove certain defences and excuses in EVERY summary conviction trial. This is not a good thing. To find out why, watch …
Terrorism and the Defence of Duress (5mins)
This first VBLog (Video Blog) examines the way in which the defence of duress is developing, and how it might work in the terrible scenario of a terrorist attack or mass murder.