The Limits of Starting Point Sentencing in Alberta
- April 16, 2020
- Heather Ferg
What is the nature of starting point sentences and to what extent may appellate courts intervene to enforce them? This issue recently split the Alberta Court of Appeal in R v Godfrey and was clarified earlier this month by the…
Housed Alone
- March 28, 2020
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
That is how Wayne Wilcox began the description of his solitary confinement in the Edmonton Remand Centre, the largest prison in Canada. “I am housed alone,” he said in a court filing. One hour a day free time from a…
Accessing Seized Funds for Legal Fees
- March 14, 2020
- Heather Ferg
When the police identify property believed to be proceeds of crime, the Criminal Code allows them to seize or restrain it. They can take anything from the change in someone’s pocket to all of their assets. While the aim of…
A Firearms Collector of Sorts
- February 28, 2020
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
On May 8, 2014, RCMP investigators showed up at the residence of Jason Robertson in Kamloops, British Columbia, armed with a search warrant. The police found six stolen rifles including an RCMP Centennial Winchester 30-30 model 94 and a Little…
Tricks, Trash and Privacy
- February 14, 2020
- Heather Ferg
Canadian constitutional law is replete with tricks and schemes conjured by the police to elicit incriminating statements, gain access to private information and seize physical evidence from unwitting targets. The police may passively surveil our daily activities or stage chance…