April 2026

Myths & Jury Instructions: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t!

Welcome to “Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t!”

In this episode, Kyla Lee from Acumen Law Corporation examines a case involving jury instructions and the role of addressing myths and stereotypes in criminal trials. A First Nations man, Necan, was charged with an offence allegedly committed after consuming alcohol. The defence requested a specific jury instruction addressing harmful stereotypes about Indigenous people and alcohol use, including the “firewater” myth. The trial judge declined to give that tailored instruction, instead relying on general guidance about avoiding bias. Necan was convicted, and the issue raised important questions about whether generic instructions are enough to guard against prejudice in cases involving historically marginalized groups.

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Myths & Jury Instructions: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t!Read More »

Myths & Jury Instructions: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! Read More »

Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving Cases

This week, we look at recent cases reinforcing that disclosure obligations and Charter rights remain critical in impaired driving prosecutions.

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Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving CasesRead More »

Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving Cases Read More »

Kyla Lee on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko: Soapbox Social: Pierre Poilievre talks about floor crossings, Cowichan lands decision in Richmond

After losing another of his MPs to the Liberals, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he personally supports recall petitions — a way for constituents to remove a representative if they garner enough local support. Also, Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government to defend private property rights in the face of what he claims is a threat posed by a landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision establishing Aboriginal title on private property.

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Kyla Lee on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko: Soapbox Social: Pierre Poilievre talks about floor crossings, Cowichan lands decision in RichmondRead More »

Kyla Lee on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko: Soapbox Social: Pierre Poilievre talks about floor crossings, Cowichan lands decision in Richmond Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 19

Welcome to British Columbia’s only weekly DUI law update newsletter. This newsletter contains the most cutting-edge information, the newest case law, and helpful practice tips for DUI defence in BC.

Authored by Kyla Lee, BC’s Impaired Driving Update is released weekly on Thursdays.

What’s inside:

  • Impaired Driving Defence Tip
  • IRP Decision of the Week
  • DUI Decision of the Week
  • Kyla’s Insight
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Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 19Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 19 Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 393

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Updates in the world of legal advertising

This week for Weird and Wacky Wednesday, we are back to considering legal advertising. There are significant rules around legal advertising. If you go back fifty years, legal advertising was more or less forbidden, but because of court challenges, lawyers can now advertise. There are very specific rules and of course lawyers are great at finding loopholes. Constraint can provide the soil for significant creativity. The creativity of lawyers makes legal advertising always an interesting subject.

Like realtors, lawyers often end up on billboards or have their image plastered on the back of a bus. For years my colleague, Paul Doroshenko, was pictured on billboards around BC. A few years back I had my image on the back of buses in the Lower Mainland and on posters in bus shelters. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Drivers got to look at my face while being stuck in traffic. Every so often, someone tries something slightly different and it turns into a fight.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 393Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 393 Read More »

Ask a Lawyer with Steve Sleeper: DUI Defense Attorney Kyla Lee in Vancouver, BC

“Immediately upon arrest or detention, as soon as the traffic stop happens, you have the right to be told the reason for your detention… Police are entitled to stop you at any point to check your sobriety, your licence, your insurance, and your fitness to drive. You do not have the right to call a lawyer until after you are formally arrested… So if the police want to do a roadside breathalyzer test, you’re legally obligated to comply and you don’t have the right to call a lawyer before doing so….”

Ask a Lawyer with Steve Sleeper: DUI Defense Attorney Kyla Lee in Vancouver, BC Read More »

The Law Does not Give Credit for Bail Conditions Affecting Your Ability to Drive

If you practice criminal law in Canada, you’ve likely relied on the idea that fairness is a two-way street. If a client spends months on strict bail conditions, effectively serving some or all of their punishment before they’ve even been convicted, a judge should be able to account for that at sentencing, right?

Wrong.

The recent decision in R. v. Reid 2026 ONSC 1342 has officially confirmed that when it comes to driving prohibitions, fairness is no longer part of the equation.

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The Law Does not Give Credit for Bail Conditions Affecting Your Ability to DriveRead More »

The Law Does not Give Credit for Bail Conditions Affecting Your Ability to Drive Read More »

This is VANCOLOUR – Kyla’s Court: Self-driving cars are everywhere. Why not in B.C.?

Self-driving cars are already operating around the world — and even in parts of Canada — so why not in British Columbia? This is VANCOLOUR Mo Amir speaks with lawyer Kyla Lee (Acumen Law) about what’s stopping autonomous vehicles from being legal in B.C., what changes the government would need to make, and what could happen if drivers try to use self-driving features today.

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This is VANCOLOUR – Kyla’s Court: Self-driving cars are everywhere. Why not in B.C.?Read More »

This is VANCOLOUR – Kyla’s Court: Self-driving cars are everywhere. Why not in B.C.? Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 18

Welcome to British Columbia’s only weekly DUI law update newsletter. This newsletter contains the most cutting-edge information, the newest case law, and helpful practice tips for DUI defence in BC.

Authored by Kyla Lee, BC’s Impaired Driving Update is released weekly on Thursdays.

What’s inside:

  • Impaired Driving Defence Tip
  • IRP Decision of the Week
  • DUI Decision of the Week
  • Kyla’s Insight
…

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 18Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 18 Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 392

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: The Bending, and Squeezing, Flexibility Edition

Welcome back to Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, where the justice system hands us material so good we couldn’t make it up if we tried. This week the universe chose a theme entirely on its own: bending. Whether you’re bending the rules, bending over backward, or bending your handcuffed body through a half-open car window, this week in law had it all.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 392Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 392 Read More »

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