CDLA YYC

Our CDLA Champion Award went to our Past President Ian Savage for many years of work on behalf of the criminal defence bar.

Thank you to everyone who made our first annual Criminal Defence awards night a success last week. It was great to see so many of our members, have a chance to socialize and recognize the success of our membership in the practice of criminal defence. #CDLA

@KelseySitar Our 2025 Torchbearer of Justice award went to Mary Stevensen

Our 2025 Defence Lawyer of the Year was Rebecca Snukal K.C. Seen here with our president, @KelseySitar who handed out the award.

This week’s top three summaries: R v Townsend, 2025 BCCA 459: #after the fact, R v ZML, 2025 ONCA 872: accused #fabrication, R v Meeko, 2025 NUCA 12: #bad character #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

This week’s top three summaries: R v Carignan, 2025 SCC 43: s.9 #arrest, R v Stuart, 2025 ABCA 404: #cross & s.276, R v Linklater, 2025 MBCA 104: #eye-witness ID #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

This week's top three summaries: R v McDonald, 2025 ONCA 807: Browne v Dunn, R v Brennan, 2025 ONSC 6116: s.8 #marijuana smell, R v MR, 2025 ONCA 789: #appeal bail #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

Here’s my post on cyber insider, Peter Williams, who pleaded guilty to selling trade secrets, stolen from a defence contractor, to a Russian broker for $US1.3 million in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia 🇺🇸 | #cybersecurity #cybercrime claytonrice.com/cyber-brokers-…

This week’s top three summaries: R v Demetroff, 2025 ABCA 373: #after the fact, R v BR, 2025 ABKB 659: s.8 school #principal, R v Robinson, 2025 ABCJ 196: #witnesses #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

This week’s top three summaries: R v Bjil, 2025 SKCA 116: #technology, R v Lessard, 2025 ONCA 760: #NCRMD, R v Krelove, 2025 ONSC 6004: #domestic discharge #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

This week’s top three summaries: R v Whitlock, 2025 ONSC 6006: #remand s.12, R v EJ, 2025 ONSC 6016: #self-defence, R v CB, 2025 ONSC 6004: cross-count #similar fact #defencetoolkit #legal #criminallaw appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to…

Here’s my post on the use of artificial intelligence by the legal profession and a sample of rulings by Canadian courts 🇨🇦 where lawyers were criticized for filings that contained cases conjured by hallucinating AI tools | #GenAI #Lawyers #LegalEthics claytonrice.com/practising-law…

⚖️ The Defence Toolkit: 🧑‍⚖️ Mandatory Minimum Sentences — reasonably foreseeable scenarios. 📜 Sexual Assault — Mens Rea absent a mistake defence. 🔍 Rights — intoxicated and rude accused. Full post 👉 appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to… #CriminalLaw #CaseLaw #AppealLawyer #TheDefenceToolkit

Good opinion response to politicians' populist rage against most recently overturned mandatory minimum sentence. This is why #CharterRights are necessary to protect everyone from the political and even majority whims of the moment. winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editor…

Criminal Defence bar concerned with government overreach in sweeping use of notwithstanding clause by @ABDanielleSmith and the @Alberta_UCP #Red4Ed livewirecalgary.com/2025/11/05/cal…

Criminal Defence bar speaking out against sweeping use of notwithstanding clause by @ABDanielleSmith and the @Alberta_UCP #Red4Ed calgaryherald.com/news/politics/…

CDLA, CTLA, SADL, RDCDLA joint statement on @Alberta_UCP and premier @ABDanielleSmith's sweeping use of the Notwithstanding Clause. #ableg #Constitution #Red4Ed

⚖️ New on The Defence Toolkit: 🧑‍⚖️ Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act — immunity from arrest 📜 Fresh Evidence after guilty plea — consent capacity revisited 🔍 Expert evidence — trial errors corrected 👉 appeallawyer.ca/the-defence-to… #CriminalLaw #CaseLaw #TheDefenceToolkit

“Judges around the world are dealing with a growing problem: legal briefs that were generated with the help of artificial intelligence and submitted with errors such as citations to cases that don’t exist” @cbussewitz 👉🏻 @AP | #courts #lawyers #AI apnews.com/article/artifi…

Here’s my post on R. v. Liu where the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal 🇨🇦 held that the trial judge erred in admitting the expert opinion of a drug expert resulting in a miscarriage of justice and ordered a new trial | #FairTrials #ExpertEvidence #DrugLaw claytonrice.com/bungling-of-ex…