Ottawa may be saving millions of dollars by delaying judicial appointments but the price paid by those waiting for their case to be heard is immeasurably higher by every other measure.

I was recently involved in a high-profile case where charges against a member of the Canadian military accused of sexually assaulting a female corporal were stayed because it had taken too long to come to trial.

A Crown attorney made the right call in July by dropping second-degree murder charges against a Milton, Ont., man who shot and killed an intruder.

A recent media report noted that crime in Canada has increased for the second consecutive year, with violent crime reaching its highest point since 2007.

There is yet another bill being put forward to change the law that allows parents, guardians and teachers to spank a child.

Wrongful convictions are an unfair consequence of the Canadian criminal justice system that I work in every day.

When news broke early in June that Paul Bernardo had been transferred to a medium-security prison in Quebec, many Canadians expressed shock and outrage.

When preparing a client for a criminal trial I always stress that the burden of proof lies with the Crown attorney. To win a conviction, the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused has committed a crime.

After an accused is convicted, the judge’s next task is to arrive at an appropriate sentence. This is a complex process since the circumstances surrounding offences are never the same and there are many factors the court must take into consideration.

When deciding on a sentence following a conviction, the judge must consider s.718 of the Criminal Code.