What are the differences? Petty theft and grand larceny are basically the same offences. Both are defined as the unlawful taking and carrying away of the personal property of another person without their consent. The primary differences are the value, penalties, consequences, and reputation. If you have been involved in a theft and aren’t sure [...]
Vehicular accidents are horrifying enough without adding injury or death to the scene. Being responsible for injuring or killing someone while driving would have to be categorized as anyone’s worse nightmare. When either or both parties are responsible for an accident that caused a death, there will be legal consequences. Obviously, no one intentionally sets [...]
Changes are finally coming for Canada’s criminal laws. In March 2018, the Liberals introduced drastic changes in legislation regarding white collar crimes, illegal drug sales, how trials are handled. C-75 is intended to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts to bring them up to current standards of modernization and [...]
Face it, Canadian aboriginals continue to experience many constraints in their lives. Some are due to indigenous laws and cultural lifestyles, while others stem from deep-seated bias. In a report released in June 2018 by Statistics Canada, It was observed that there continues to be an over-representation of indigenous people in jail. The report shows [...]
The Family Violence Initiative has been around since 1988 and counts on 15 departments and government agencies to tackle the overwhelming incidence of family violence. This initiative is marshalled by the Public Health Agency of Canada and covers all family violence: physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, economic, and spiritual. Family violence and abuse is illegal and [...]
It is important to understand that Canadian law delineates between three levels of assault: Common assault, which is the least serious, involves pushing, slapping, punching, and verbal threats (level 1). Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm, which is considered a major assault (level 2). Aggravated assault, which involves wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering [...]
In the recent past, Canada’s privacy laws offered little personal protection even though the increasing use of smart devices posed a serious threat to citizens. The privacy laws were limited and very old, as many were implemented and never updated to reflect current technology and usage. Of course, years ago the list of devices was [...]
In 2016 Bill C-14 was passed by the Parliament of Canada, which amended the Canadian Criminal Code to legalize both medically assisted dying and assisted suicide laws in Canada. Formally termed “physician-administered euthanasia” (PAE) and “physician-assisted suicide” (PAS), the bill passed to end the suffering of terminally ill adults. The assisted dying law included legal [...]
When an inmate is first placed in the custody of Correctional Service Canada (CSC) a full intake assessment is used to review the information provided by the police and the courts. The assessment also includes personal information about the inmate’s family life and background. The completed baseline assessment is basically an evaluation that determines penitentiary [...]
The definition of self-defence is when a person uses force or a weapon to protect one’s body and one’s property from harm. Contrary to popular belief, the Criminal Code of Canada approves of self-defence and the defence of one’s personal property (Sections 34 and 35) via the route of making a “citizen’s arrest”. Force must [...]
