unsavoury witnesses

R v Stevenson: SCC upholds conviction on Vetrovec testimony

In Juries We Trust: R v Magno

The Ontario Court of Appeal (“Court of Appeal”) decision in R v Magno, 2015 ONCA 111 [Magno], affirmed the law surrounding judges’ Vetrovec warnings in cases where co-conspirators serve as both witnesses against an accused and as independent corroboration for one another’s testimony.  The appellant (“Magno”) appealed from trial convictions on charges of conspiracy, arson […]

Cautioning the Jury About Unsavoury Witnesses: The Vetrovec Warning

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court released its rulings on R v Khela, 2009 SCC 4 [Khela], and R v Smith, 2009 SCC 5 [Smith], two companion cases involving allegations of first-degree murder. In both proceedings, the Crown’s case relied on the testimony of witnesses who had a motive to lie and who were therefore considered unsavoury. As […]