Category Archives: Criminal Law

Rehtaeh Parsons: a thought experiment

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Christie Blatchford’s controversial National Post column from last week purports to explain why prosecutors in Nova Scotia decided not to proceed with charges against the four boys who allegedly raped Rehtaeh Parsons.  According to anonymous sources (who, of course, could be … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Slandering the dead

Posted on April 18, 2013 by

It is understandable that friends and family members would instinctively rush to the defense of loved ones accused of a terrible crime.  And, of course, they’re innocent until proven guilty, and there may be details about the Rehtaeh Parsons case … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Media | 2 Comments

A voice of reason

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

Chris Selley in the National Post: As if contemplating a tormented child taking her own life isn’t horrible enough, we must now live with online blame-mobs grabbing hold of a narrative and demanding justice — and not necessarily in a courtroom. … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Rehtaeh Parsons: be outraged – but careful

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

A day after The Chronicle Herald‘s atom bomb of a story about Parsons, I’m still haunted by what happened to that poor girl – especially that her fellow classmates not only circulated photos of her alleged rape, they tormented her personally. … Continue reading →

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Steubenville, Nova Scotia

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

Today’s edition of The Chronicle Herald has a heartbreaking and shocking story about a young girl who took her own life after being raped and then relentlessly tormented by her peers. It reminds me of the infamous Steubenville, Ohio rape case … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The gangster state

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

With North Korea back in the news for nuclear-fueled temper tantrums again, NPR’s excellent Planet Money podcast has rebroadcast a 2011 program about how the hermit kingdom earns hard currency.   North Korea does some legitimate trade with China, supplies cheap … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law | Tagged , | 3 Comments

It’s dirty work (and lawyers get to do it)

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

Canadian Lawyer‘s Gail Cohen praises the late Doug Christie for representing people many lawyers wouldn’t touch: Christie, often called The Battling Barrister or Counsel for the Damned, became notorious for his defence of some of the most reviled hatemongers in … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Law, Constitutional Law (USA), Criminal Law, Freedom of Expression, Human Rights | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The St. John’s drug scene

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

CBC’s David Cochrane on the darker side to oil-fueled prosperity in my hometown: St. John’s is the hottest cocaine market in Atlantic Canada. At least that’s what the drug dealers whom the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary arrests tell the police officers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Drugs, Newfoundland and Labrador, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Charlie and the Angels: The Outlaws, the Hells Angels and the Sixty Years War

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

[originally posted at Canadian Lawyer] A one-percenter is the one of a hundred of us who has given up on society and the politician’s one-way laws. This is why we look repulsive. We are saying we don’t want to be like … Continue reading →

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Did the Pope resign to avoid an arrest warrant? (Probably not.)

Posted on February 19, 2013 by

Ever since the shock resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, my Facebook news feed has been inundated with dubiously sourced reports like this, arguing that he is stepping down because of an imminent warrant for his arrest. There are indeed serious … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Welfare, Criminal Law, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment