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R v Boudreault: Imagine There's No Surcharge

What does it mean to say that a law is constitutional or not? What are we getting at when a label of constitutionality is attached to a law? Of course on one level, we are asking whether a particular provision violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [Charter] (or is vires) – a technical […]

R v Cyr-Langlois : What Does It Take to Rebut the Presumption of Reliability for Breathalyzer Tests?

In 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada [“SCC” or “the Court”] heard three appeals dealing with various aspects of impaired driving proceedings. The first two were both heard in February, and decisions were released in late October. In R v Awashish, 2018 SCC 45 [“Awashish”], the Court considered the common law remedy of certiorari and its availability against […]

Groia v LSUC: Exploring the Line Between Zealous Advocacy and Professional Misconduct

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or “the Court”) decided a major case on lawyer civility in June 2018 in Groia v Law Society of Upper Canada 2018, SCC 27 [Groia]. The case revolved around a Law Society disciplinary hearing decision from 2013 that would have seen Toronto securities litigator Joseph Groia (Groia) fined and […]

R v Gubbins Introduces Evidentiary Hurdles for Those Charged with Driving Over 80

Introduction When a breathalyzer is prepared for use by a police officer, it performs a series of internal and external diagnostic tests to ensure the accuracy of the results of the tests. After the breath samples are taken, the breathalyzer machine prints the results of the diagnostic tests, which are later provided to the accused […]