Canada: Criminal Law

In a recent decision, former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch was sentenced to four years and eight months in custody following convictions of sexual assault.

The recent decision in R. v. Sloka has raised difficult questions about how the justice system responds to allegations of sexual assault in medical settings where there is a clear power imbalance. This case highlights the challenges of addressing allegations of sexual violence in professional settings, where trust, vulnerability, and authority intersect...

In R v. Hardenstine, 2025 BCSC 889 [Hardenstine], the BC Supreme Court excluded evidence seized by police following a police traffic stop, arrest, and use of force which the Court found were violations of the accused’s Charter rights.