Victim surcharge…

    Oct. 7, 2015  CBC News – Jason Proctor Victim surcharge won't make homeless offender more accountable, B.C. judge says - Mandatory $200 fine on impoverished offender found to be cruel and unusual punishment  BC Judge Donna Senniw says “she … [Read more...]

Mandatory minimums targeted…

    Sept 28, 2015  Global TV News Justin Trudeau might repeal some mandatory minimums if elected Trudeau said Sunday in an interview with Tom Clarke that a Liberal government would tackle both the mandatory minimum and the provisions of C-24 that … [Read more...]

Branches of government…

     July 9, 2015 LawNow - Lorraine Snyder and Dustin Martin Democratic Governance: The Constitution and Canada’s Branches of Government The article is a good primer for legal lay people witnessing the current tensions between the PMO and the … [Read more...]

Low wage work…

     June 17, 2014 Toronto Star - Sara Mojtehedzadeh Ontario's 'eye-popping' shift to low-wage work  Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of the most recent study of precarious employment has concluded that in the last two decades … [Read more...]

Watchdogs…

     May 3, 2015  National Newswatch – Jim Bronskill Retired judge and former national security adviser named to spy watchdog  As Deborah Grey leaves the chair, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced the appointment of Pierre Blais, a former … [Read more...]

Running wild…

     April 29, 2015 iPolitics.com - Andrew Mitrovica Caught in the gears of intelligence running wild C-51, the anti-terrorism bill, has created frightening prospects for the potential of the intelligence community to go astray, especially without … [Read more...]

Courtly cautions…

  Oct. 30, 2014    Huffington Post – Althia Raj John Major, Retired Supreme Court Justice, Warns Over 'Knee-Jerk' Reaction to Ottawa Attack    The former leader of the Air India inquiry thinks that the government needs to make a case for … [Read more...]

Security and solutions…

   Oct. 28, 2014 –  Globe and Mail – Sean Silcoff Tories to table expanded security bill   Guess what?  The security agency, CSIS, already has what tools they need according to Conservative MP Deborah Grey who chairs the Security Review … [Read more...]

The real lesson from the US?

   Feb. 4, 2014 Toronto Star – Jennifer Carlson America’s cautionary tale of mandatory minimums   There is surprising support from Republicans and conservatives for sentencing reform in the US.  Lessons for us in Canada?  The fall in crime … [Read more...]