The Presumption of Innocence is Being Eroded by Procedure:
The Presumption of Innocence is Being Eroded by Procedure: Last week, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in R. v. Allred. The court resolved a singular issue that has divided trial courts across Ontario for decades: where should an in-custody accused sit during their trial – the prisoner’s box or counsel table?[1] In […]
Bill C-16 and Parliament’s Proposed Changes to the Records Regime A Change That Raises More Questions Than Answers
When the federal government introduced Bill C-16 in December 2025, Justice Minister Sean Fraser called it “one of the most consequential reforms of the Criminal Code in a generation.”¹ Buried within its 200-plus pages is a provision that could fundamentally reshape how sexual assault trials are conducted in Canada; and it is receiving far less […]
Why Gender Shouldn’t Determine a Lawyer’s Cases
Last week’s acquittal of the five World Junior hockey players ignited a tidal wave of outrage before the judge had even finished reading the reasons. Amongst the loudest early takes was an article from the Toronto Star entitled: Why would female lawyers represent men in sexual crimes? That oneliner sums up the Op-Ed: women in […]