
Pot pardon legislation doesn’t ‘go far enough'
Impeding legislation which would grant free pardons for Canadians convicted of simple marijuana possession is a “great start” but could be better, says Ottawa criminal lawyer Céline Dostaler.
Impeding legislation which would grant free pardons for Canadians convicted of simple marijuana possession is a “great start” but could be better, says Ottawa criminal lawyer Céline Dostaler.
A recent Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision about privacy provides some important guidelines as invasive technology becomes more available.
People charged with domestic violence are often surprised to learn that they can be convicted solely based on their partner’s testimony.
A handgun ban will not reduce crime, and it may even encourage the growth of the illegal ownership of these weapons.
While plea negotiations should be part of every criminal defence case, law schools provide only an academic sense of how they’re conducted, and offer little practical guidance.
With the holiday season underway, so too are the holiday RIDE Program checkpoints. Each year, law enforcement agencies across Ottawa and throughout Ontario set up checkpoints in an effort to curtail impaired driving from both alcohol and drugs.
Both technical and legal uncertainty about how using marijuana may cause driving impairment threaten to hamstring the court system as lawyers put the new laws on trial.
It may be fun and exciting for couples to photograph each other during intimate moments, but Ottawa criminal lawyer Céline Dostaler says those who do run the risk of facing criminal charges if the photos are published online.
“When clients seek my counsel in these situations, I typically go over the facts as to what the Crown is alleging and come up with a plan as to how we’ll proceed,” she says.
The #MeToo movement has seen many high-profile people fall from positions of power, with some facing criminal charges.