Fentanyl and the Public Interest
- January 30, 2020
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
In a post to On The Wire titled Fentanyl Trafficking In Alberta dated March 30, 2019, I discussed the sentence of seven years imprisonment imposed on Patrick Felix by Justice Brian Burrows, in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta,…
Under the Weight of the State
- January 16, 2020
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
On January 7, 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal released two unanimous opinions involving serious violations of the Charter of Rights by the police. In one case, the court reversed convictions for child pornography offences and ordered a new trial….
Crooked House
- December 30, 2019
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
On December 3, 2018, suppression orders were lifted on an Australian case that blew the lid off the justice system in Victoria. It was revealed that a criminal lawyer had acted as an informant providing information to the police about…
Bugs and Betrayers
- December 16, 2019
- Heather Ferg
Betrayal. An unsavoury, but persistent feature of human relations. Friends turn, confidants disclose, trusted allies deceive and forsake. When recruited by the police, betrayers may become informants. Their reports may be akin to schoolyard tattles or engage matters of life…
More Than a Minimal Scale
- November 28, 2019
- Clayton Rice, K.C.
On May 20, 2015, Curt Gittens got into an unmarked police vehicle and sold .64 grams of cocaine for $60 to an undercover officer. He bolted when more officers arrived and tossed two small packages during a brief foot chase….