July 2026

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 408

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: The Props Never Work

Part of my job is watching people try to outsmart a system that has seen every trick before. On a DUI file it might be a breath machine. On the road it might be a camera, a plate reader, or a live police officer. This week I found three people who decided the answer was a prop. One built himself a fake passenger, one built himself a disappearing licence plate, and one built himself an entire fake police officer. In all three cases the prop was the very thing that gave them away.

A quick reminder before the curtain goes up. None of this is as clever as it looks, and in British Columbia most of it is illegal in its own right. Cheating an HOV lane, hiding your plate from enforcement, and pretending to be a police officer are each their own problem, on top of whatever you were trying to hide in the first place. Impaired driving still runs underneath a couple of these stories too, which is the part I care about most. With that said, let us meet the cast.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 408Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 408 Read More »

CBA National: Digital Safety Act seen as unconstitutional, unworkable

Introduced in June, the Digital Safety Act aims to reduce online harms, particularly for children, and impose a duty of responsibility on social media platforms. However, observers say it’s a blank cheque for the federal government to regulate.

While Bill C-34 would create a new Digital Safety Commission to oversee much of the regulation of online spaces, its intention to ban youth under 16 from using social media platforms unless the sites can demonstrate a child-safe environment has drawn most of the attention. This ban would extend to AI chatbots, which are under scrutiny following their alleged role in the Tumbler Ridge shooting in British Columbia earlier this year. 

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CBA National: Digital Safety Act seen as unconstitutional, unworkableRead More »

CBA National: Digital Safety Act seen as unconstitutional, unworkable Read More »

12 Mistakes People Make After Getting an IRP in BC

You just got an Immediate Roadside Prohibition. Maybe you were drinking. Maybe you weren’t. Either way, the clock is running, and what you do in the next few days will determine whether you keep your licence or lose it for 90 days along with everything that comes with that.

Most people make at least one of the following mistakes. Some make several. Here is what to avoid.

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12 Mistakes People Make After Getting an IRP in BCRead More »

12 Mistakes People Make After Getting an IRP in BC Read More »

Withdrawal of Charges: 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 the withdrawal of criminal charges and whether an accused person should have the right to insist on a trial to clear their name. After the Crown sought to withdraw the charges against Mr. Lefond, he objected, arguing that he wanted a judicial determination of his innocence rather than having the case simply disappear. The case raised important questions about the lasting reputational impact of criminal allegations and whether the justice system provides an adequate path to vindication when charges are withdrawn.

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Withdrawal of Charges: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’tRead More »

Withdrawal of Charges: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t Read More »

Episode 461: When Going to Trial Is Better Than Accepting a Bad Plea Deal

This week on Driving Law, Paul Doroshenko is joined by Arkansas DUI lawyer and former police officer John Collins for a conversation about criminal defence, surveillance technology, and why experience still matters in the courtroom.

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Episode 461: When Going to Trial Is Better Than Accepting a Bad Plea DealRead More »

Episode 461: When Going to Trial Is Better Than Accepting a Bad Plea Deal Read More »

Kyla Lee on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko: Soapbox Social: Politics of Vancouver’s villages plan

The Villages Plan aims to rezone 17 specific single-family neighborhoods across Vancouver to allow four-to-six-storey mixed-use buildings. The policy attempts to create European-style, walkable hubs with local shops on ground floors and housing above, but has sparked fierce debate.

“I think part of the motivation for so many people to want to speak on this is the idea that this might be the last public hearing of it’s kind with the way that things are changing in British Columbia and with the Vancouver charter and with the way city counsel’s basically going to just get to approve these things without the public hearings…”

Listen here.

Kyla Lee on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko: Soapbox Social: Politics of Vancouver’s villages plan Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 33

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 of the Week
  • Decision of the Week
  • Kyla’s Insight
  • Resources
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Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 33Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 33 Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 407

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: When the Getaway Goes for a Swim

People who run from the police make a lot of quick decisions, and most of them are bad. This week I noticed a strange pattern in the news. Three different men, in three different places, all decided that the smartest way to escape was to jump into a body of water. None of it worked. Water is slow, it is cold, and it is full of surprises. It turns out that a lake, a swamp, and a bayou are not the reliable escape routes that people seem to think they are. If anything, they slow you down long enough for a helicopter, a dive team, or an alligator to catch up.

A quick reminder before we dive in. Fleeing the police is a criminal offence, and adding a swim to the story does not help. In British Columbia, fleeing from a lawful stop and impaired driving both carry serious consequences, and none of them are washed away by a change of clothes. With that said, let us look at what happened.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 407Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 407 Read More »

Where the Sidewalk Meets the Road: Different Legal Definitions in the BC Motor Vehicle Act

A tragic accident on Canada Day in 2023 led to a complex legal battle in British Columbia that forces us to look closely at how the law defines the ground beneath our feet. This case of R. v. Machura which was recently released addresses this issue.

Mr. Machura was driving north on Highway 97A toward Enderby. As he approached a marked crosswalk, he struck and killed a pedestrian who had suddenly run into the path of his vehicle. Mr. Machura was subsequently charged with driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act.

While the human tragedy is undeniable, the legal resolution of the case turned on a highly technical distinction between what constitutes a “highway” and what constitutes a “sidewalk” or “roadway,” and how those definitions dictate a driver’s legal responsibilities.

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Where the Sidewalk Meets the Road: Different Legal Definitions in the BC Motor Vehicle ActRead More »

Where the Sidewalk Meets the Road: Different Legal Definitions in the BC Motor Vehicle Act Read More »

Suing For Violations of Charter Rights: 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 Charter damages and whether a claim for compensation against the government survives after the claimant dies. The case arose after an individual sued the state, alleging violations of her Charter rights and seeking damages. Before the litigation concluded, she passed away. The courts were then asked whether her estate could continue pursuing the claim. The lower courts held that it could not, raising important questions about the purpose of Charter damages and whether those claims should be treated differently from ordinary civil lawsuits.

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Suing For Violations of Charter Rights: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’tRead More »

Suing For Violations of Charter Rights: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t Read More »

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