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The federal government’s slow move toward a controlled market for legal marijuana in Canada is set to take a step forward this week with the delivery of a task force report that includes advice on a minimum age, product warnings and measures to prevent drug-impaired driving.(Globe and Mail, “Report on Canada’s marijuana legalization due this […]
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In R. v. Marchese, 2015 ONCJ 126, the accused was caught with four Fentanyl patches. He was an opiate addict, due to getting hurt at his job as an airplane mechanic. As a result of a surgery he was prescribed Oxycocet and became addicted. Mr. Marchese entered a guilty plea to simple possession of Fentanyl, […]
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In September 2014, I commented on the harsh sentences Ontario Courts have been handing out for trafficking in synthetic opiates. (See: What are the sentences for Possession and Trafficking of Fentanyl in Ottawa & Ontario.) The Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed the harsh sentencing range in November 2014. In R. v. Barham, [2014] O.J. No. 5404, the […]
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Despite the fear-mongering exemplified by the “tough on crime” agenda, Canada’s homicide rate is at the lowest point since 1966. This is a continuation of the long-term trend in declining crime-rates, as opposed to a reflection of the “tough on crime” laws passed over the past few years. See the Ottawa Citizen article by Douglas Quan […]
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What are the sentences for Possession and Trafficking of Fentanyl in Ottawa & Ontario? Given that Fentanyl is a relatively new street drug, the applicable sentencing ranges have yet to be clearly established by the courts in Canada. The few sentencing cases to date suggest that Fentanyl offences will be treated much like heroin offences. […]
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Many jobs and volunteer positions require a “vulnerable sector” police record check. The results often leave Canadians stunned. It is a rude surprise to learn that you have a “record”, despite never being charged or convicted of a crime. A shop-lifting accusation may show up as theft occurrence. A traffic stop with a friend who […]
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Ontario Court of Appeal rules that three-year mandatory minimum jail sentence for loaded handguns is unconstitutional.
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What do the police need before deploying drug sniffing dogs? Not much according to two Supreme Court of Canada decisions released in September 2013. All the police need is a “reasonable suspicion” that evidence of drug offence may be discovered.
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An Ottawa man who was acquitted of firearms charges after a judge found the pellet gun he was allegedly carrying did not meet the definition of a “weapon” will face a new trial, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on September 4th. Previously, a pellet gun was not considered a “weapon” unless someone carried it for the purpose of hurting or threatening someone.
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The law is uncertain on how far the police can go in searching the cell phone of someone they arrest. A new case from the Ontario Court of Appeal says the police do not need a search warrant to conduct a “cursory search” of a cell phone following an arrest.
Legal Commentary
Brett McGarry
- 116 Lisgar Street, Suite 300, K2P 0C2 Ottawa, Ontario Canada
- brett@mcgarrylaw.ca
- 613-884-8576
- 613-691-1373