UPCOMING SEMINARS
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Seminar: Top Cases of 2020-21 [with Steven Penney]
11am MST, Friday, 14 May 2021
The boys are back, in a sequel to the MOST popular seminar of 2020. This time, Professors Sankoff and Penney will once again look at the MOST important cases you need to know, spanning the time period since our last seminar of this type (October-May). To keep it more time manageable, we will keep this to our Top 6 cases, with 8 Short Snappers to start it off. Expect this seminar to once again be colourful, informative and lots of fun.
$50.00 -
Seminar: Top Civil Evidence Cases of 2020-2021 with Chris Wayland, Counsel, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Law Office Civil
11am MST, Friday, 28 May 2021
For our civil litigators -who were missing out on the fun – we present the Top Civil Evidence Cases of 2020-21. For this one, Professor Sankoff will be joined by one of the country’s top civil litigation specialists. As with the criminal law version, we’ll be counting down our top cases of the year, so expect some informative discussion of the law of privilege, hearsay, experts and more.
$50.00 -
Seminar: Challenging a Search Warrant/ITO: Tips for a Better Charter Application by Fady Mansour
11am MST, Friday, 4 June 2021
In many cases, whether the client is acquitted or convicted depends SOLELY upon the results of the Charter application against the admission of evidence obtained pursuant to a search warrant. But challenging a search warrant is no easy task, and there are plenty of traps for the unwary. In this seminar, you’ll be given a systematic approach to reviewing a search warrant, and plenty of tips regarding what to look for. Get prepared to give your client the best chance possible in these types of cases.
Fady Mansour is a founding partner at Friedman, Mansour in Ottawa. One of Professor Sankoff’s first criminal law students in Canada, Fady has quickly become one of the country’s top criminal barristers. Now working in partnership with Solomon Friedman, Fady has acted in a variety of criminal matters including murder, attempted murder, firearms offences, major sexual assault, drug trafficking and child pornography. He has become specialized in attacking search warrants and ITOs, and has given many talks on this subject.
$50.00 -
Seminar: Criminal Procedure Talk (subject TBD) with Steven Penney
11am MST, Friday, 16 July 2021
Professor Penney is back! He is still working on the subject of this talk, but you can expect that it will address Charter issues dealing with criminal procedure and that, like his other talks, it will be informative and fun. We wanted to lock down the date so that people could register and take advantage of bulk discounts. Topic will be added as soon as it is available. If you are disappointed with the topic, we will issue a refund! (But you won’t be!)
$50.00 -
Seminar: Peter Sankoff, Going Deep on the Residual Exception to the Hearsay Rule
11am MST, Friday, 13 August 2021
In a 2020 seminar, Professor Sankoff addressed the exceptions to the hearsay rule in one fell swoop. That was a mistake! The residual or principled exception to the rule is, by far, the most complex part of the rule and includes a host of peculiarities that guide its application. In this one hour seminar, Professor Sankoff will navigate all the pitfalls that can arise here, and delve deeply into what makes a piece of hearsay “reliable” and “necessary”.
$50.00
RECORDED SEMINARS
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Recorded Seminar: “Making Sense of the Rule in Browne v. Dunn: A Practical Perspective”
Recorded: 16 April 2021, 67 minutes
No lawyer has escaped the joys of being told that they failed to comply with the rule in Browne v Dunn, a rule that Professor Sankoff despises above all others. It is one of the least understood cases in the jurisprudence. In this seminar, you’ll learn: (a) how the “rule” works; (b) why Professor Sankoff hates it so much; (c) how to ensure you comply with the basics; and, most importantly, (d) how to respond when someone claims you’ve breached the rule.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: “Sorting Through the Section 278.92 Quagmire: Defence Disclosure in Sexual Assault Cases – Where are We and Where is it Going?” with Megan Savard
Recorded: 26 March 2021, 122 minutes
Ever since Parliament passed the new regime governing private records in sexual assault cases, defence lawyers across the country have been struggliing with this remarkable piece of law. In addition to a host of constitutional challenges, there are numerous interpretative struggles in applying this law and getting the best results for your clients. In this seminar, Professor Sankoff – who brought a successful constitutional challenge against the law in Alberta – will be joined by Megan Savard, founding Partner of Savard, Foy in Toronto. Formerly with Addario Law Group, Megan is a director of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and serves on the CLA’s Litigation Committee. In 2019, Megan received the Precedent Setter Award, which recognizes lawyers for excellence and leadership in the legal community within their first ten years of practice. Megan regularly appears before the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada, and she is co-counsel in R v JJ, the case going before the Supreme Court to address the constitutionality of s 278.92.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: “Prepping for a Sexual Assault Trial” with Dino Bottos, QC
Recorded: 12 March 2021, 83 minutes
In this seminar for criminal defence lawyers, we are joined by the one of the country’s best: Dino Bottos, Q.C., founder of Bottos Law Group. Dino has a long history of successfully defending those accused of sexual assault, and has worked on a number of landmark trials including the Bradley Barton case. It will be a very practical seminar, including matters like deciding upon a trial strategy, meeting with the client, planning cross-examination, etc. There will be plenty of time for Q & A to run your own problems past Dino and Professor Sankoff!
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Solicitor Client Privilege (Part 2)
Recorded: 28 February 2021, 81 minutes
In another seminar geared towards civil litigators, I’ll be looking at the most controversial aspect of solicitor client privilege: when it can be set aside. In particular, I’ll examine the rules governing every type of waiver, as well as the few existing exceptions to the rule.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Peter Sankoff, Don’t Say That Again! – Understanding and Addressing the Rule Against Prior Consistent Statements (Part 2)
Recorded: 12 February 2021, 68 minutes
Continuing on from part one, we’ll look at all the exceptions to the rule, including prior identification, recent fabrication, the narrative exception (actually narrative “exceptions” – yes, the rule has two separate narrative exceptions) and a potential “principled” exception.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Solicitor Client Privilege (Part 1)
Recorded: 22 January 2021, 72 minutes
Our first seminar geared towards civil litigators, or those who practice mainly in that area, this seminar will delve deep into the rule that still causes as much litigation as any other in the civil realm. Useful for all, it will distinguish between confidentiality and privilege, look at what it means to “communicate for a legal purpose” and introduce the distinction between solicitor client privilege and litigation privilege.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Don’t Say That Again!- Understanding And Addressing the Rule Against Prior Consistent Statements (Part 1)
Recorded: 8 January 2021, 66 minutes
Most people think the hearsay rule is the most complex common law rule of evidence, but the rule against prior consistent statements is quickly making a strong case to take the crown. In this hour seminar, we’ll look at the rule, its rationale and how to be able to spot a prior consistent statement. We’ll also talk about jury charges and the theory of exceptions.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Detention after Le: Steven Penney
Recorded: 11 December 2020, 83 minutes
Did the SCC’s decision in R v Le signal a new approach to “detention” under sections 9 and 10 of the Charter? In this seminar, Professor Penney will explore the implications of Le, including the revised approach to determining when a “psychological” detention arises, the newfound importance of race, and the scope and limits of the investigative detention power. He will also examine several contentious issues not addressed in Le, including pretextual roadside stops and the standard for conducting safety searches.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Improper Cross Examination
Recorded: 14 November 2020, 79 minutes
As a Minister of Justice, the Crown cannot cross-examine in the same manner as the defence, but it is not always easy to spot when the Crown is “crossing the line”, and treading into dangerous territory. In this seminar, Professor Sankoff takes you through all of the areas of concern, and gets you prepped to make the correct objection to improper Crown cross-examination!
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Communicating with Witnesses: Sorting Through the Law and the Ethical Rules (accredited for 1 hour Professionalism content with the LSO)
Recorded: 16 October 2020, 80 minutes
This seminar will delve into the complex ethical and legal rules governing pre- and in-trial communication with witnesses. What are the dangers of speaking with potential witnesses prior to trial? What is the difference between “coaching” and “interfering” with witness testimony? Are there certain types of witnesses you cannot speak to? If you do choose to speak to a (potential) witness, what should you do to minimize the potential for difficulty down the road?
What happens once the trial starts? When can you speak with your witness – or your client – once testimony is underway? This is an extremely nuanced area and it is easy to go wrong. Professor Sankoff will sort through the details in this informative and practical seminar.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: What Trial Lawyers Need to Do to Preserve a Successful Appeal (with Jill Presser)
Recorded: September 2020, 85 minutes
In this seminar, Professor Sankoff is joined by one of the country’s top appellate lawyers, Jill Presser, to talk about the criminal trial from the appellate lawyer’s perspective. It’s not often that trial lawyers think in terms of preserving an appeal, but we go through our top tips for what trial lawyers absolutely need to know if they’re going to have a 2nd shot at a trial that has gone awry.
$35.00 -
FREE Recorded Seminar: Top 10 Cases from 2020
Recorded: September 2020, 102 minutes
In our first ever “tag team” seminar, Professors Sankoff and Penney pick out five cases each from 2020 that every criminal lawyer should know about. We talk about why each of the cases is important to your practice, and comment on their impact and correctness. Expect this interactive seminar to be different, useful and fun.
$0.00 -
Recorded Seminar: The Crown Won’t Call a Witness – Now What?
Recorded: August 2020, 79 minutes
Let’s assume that a key witness is needed to establish evidence in your case, but you want to cross-examine them. The Crown refuses to call the witness. What can you do? In this seminar, Professor Sankoff reviews all the options for this problematic but common scenario.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Consent and Honest Mistaken Belief in Consent: Let’s Get a Few Things Straight
Recorded: July 2020, 73 minutes
The law governing the mental and physical elements of sexual assault has become incredibly complex. In this seminar, Professor Sankoff sets out a framework for how to approach the element of consent and consider when a defence of honest mistaken belief in consent should be raised, and how to work through the complexities of the reasonable steps requirement.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Section 10(b) Advancing “Right to Counsel” Challenges: Recent Developments and Litigation Strategies (Steven Penney)
Recorded: July 2020, 93 minutes
Charter challenges under s10(b) of the Charter are becoming increasingly complex. This seminar outlines the different types of right to counsel challenges, focussing on the most contentious areas, including equivocal requests, the extent of the right to counsel of choice, the meaning of “due diligence,” the circumstances in which a Prosper warning is required, the circumstances in which police are entitled to delay access to counsel, and the right to re-consultation under Sinclair.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Hearsay Definitions
Recorded: June 2020, 82 minutes
What is hearsay? When should you object to its admission? This most complex of the common law rules of evidence is made easy for you in this seminar.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Section 276 – Part 2 (Specific Applications/Constitutionality)
Recorded: June 2020, 91 minutes
The second part of Professor Sankoff’s seminar on section 276 focusses on understanding how the “twin myths” work (and what is not a twin myth) and the narrative evidence after Goldfinch.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Section 276 – Part I (Overview/Scope/Approach)
Recorded: June 2020, 87 minutes
The first part of this seminar concentrates on the Supreme Court’s new approach to s 276 and explains the scope of s 276 in terms of what qualifies as “sexual activity” and in what proceedings.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Section 13 of the Charter: When Can Statements of the Accused be Adduced?
Recorded: May 2020, 66 minutes
This seminar addresses one of the most complex Charter protections in existence – section 13. It outlines the law, explains why section 13 continues to confuse lawyers and judges alike, and provides clear strategies to explain why your client should NOT be confronted with prior statements given under oath in most cases.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Collateral Facts: A Strategic Guide to the Rule
Recorded: May 2020, 53 minutes
This very practical seminar on the collateral fact rule explains how the rule works, why it exists, how to get around it when required, and even offers a way of arguing for a principled approach to the rule if you get a case where you really need the fact to be admitted.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Section 24(2): Current Trends (Professor Steven Penney)
Recorded: April 2020, 90 minutes
This seminar highlights the key components of the section 24(2) application. It includes a review of the post-Grant jurisprudence, an examination of empirical findings on how the provision is implied across Canada, and a discussion of the future of the exclusionary remedy.
Among other issues, Professor Penney addresses the oft-neglected “obtained in a manner” requirement, the relevance of police training, the intricacies of the “discoverability” doctrine, the relevance of racial profiling, and the possibility that the SCC’s recent decision in R vs Omar may herald a newfound reluctance to exclude.
$35.00 -
Recorded Seminar: Hearsay Exceptions: An Overview of the Law
Recorded: 7 April 2020, 85 minutes
In this seminar, Professor Sankoff looks at the principled approach to hearsay exceptions, explaining how this affects admissibility.
It includes detailed coverage of most of the major exceptions to the rule including spontaneous utterances, admissions, admissions against interest, business records and the residual exception.
$35.00
Concessions
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