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Sexual Assault Trials: 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 evidentiary screening applications in sexual assault trials. Canadian law requires special procedures before certain types of evidence can be introduced, particularly where the evidence relates to a complainant’s sexual history or other highly private information. In this case, the issue was whether evidence of a complainant’s previously expressed sexual attraction could be admitted without first going through a screening application. The trial judge allowed the evidence without requiring the application, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision.

Sexual Assault Trials: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! Read More »

Driving Law Episode 453: Sea to Sky Crackdown, AI Parking Tickets & Eating While Driving

In Episode 453 of Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko discuss BC Highway Patrol’s record-setting May long weekend enforcement on the Sea to Sky Highway, Vancouver’s new AI-powered parking enforcement system, and an Alberta distracted driving case involving a driver eating from a bowl while behind the wheel.

Driving Law Episode 453: Sea to Sky Crackdown, AI Parking Tickets & Eating While Driving Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 25

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

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 25 Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 399

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Advertising the Crime

Some defendants make the prosecutor’s job almost too easy. They post the evidence. They wear the evidence. They drive around with the evidence stuck to the back of the car. Every so often they go further and explain the whole thing directly to the officer at the side of the road. This week’s stories come from Buffalo, suburban Kansas City, and a small town in Wales. They do not have much in common except for one detail. In each of these cases, the defendant made an unforced contribution to the file.

I tell people all the time that the right to remain silent exists for a reason. It is not just something they say on American police shows. It is a real Canadian constitutional protection, and the smarter end of my client list takes it seriously. The people in this week’s stories did not get the memo.

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 399 Read More »

Can You Call a Friend to Get a Lawyer’s Name If You Are Arrested?

When an individual is detained or arrested, the Charter provides a person the opportunity to retain and instruct counsel without delay. That means any lawyer you want.

But what if you don’t know any lawyers? Should a person have a right to call a third party to get the name of a lawyer or a referral while they are in custody?

While this right is a cornerstone of the justice system, the recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling in R. v. Rai 2026 ONSC 567 shows where that shield begins and ends. The case specifically looks at Section 10(b) of the Charter, exploring whether a the right to contact a lawyer includes a constitutionally protected right to have a private conversation with a non-lawyer third party to obtain legal contact information.

Can You Call a Friend to Get a Lawyer’s Name If You Are Arrested? Read More »

Driving Law Episode 452: Fake Parking Tickets, Prosecutorial Misconduct & AI Crash Videos

In Episode 452 of Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko discuss a strange encounter in downtown Vancouver involving a driver who allegedly attempted to avoid paying for parking by placing an old parking ticket on the windshield of a different vehicle. The discussion explores whether the conduct could amount to fraud or the use of a forged document, and raises broader questions about compliance with everyday laws and public attitudes toward enforcement.

Driving Law Episode 452: Fake Parking Tickets, Prosecutorial Misconduct & AI Crash Videos Read More »

When Police Can Demand Your Blood: Lessons from a Recent Mission Impaired Driving Investigation

Most British Columbia drivers know that if they are pulled over on suspicion of impaired driving, they can be asked to blow into a roadside screening device. Far fewer know that, in certain circumstances, the police can demand a sample of their blood.

A recent Mission RCMP investigation is a useful reminder that blood demands are real, they are used, and they carry significant legal consequences. But they are also among the most legally scrutinized tools in a Crown prosecutor’s impaired driving file.

When Police Can Demand Your Blood: Lessons from a Recent Mission Impaired Driving Investigation Read More »

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 24

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

Impaired Driving Update – BC Edition: Volume 24 Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 398

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: When Court Staff Screw Up

The headlines from a courtroom are usually about whoever is sitting at counsel table. This week the more interesting characters are sitting at the desk along the side of the room, or standing by the door, or in some cases not in the room at all anymore. Three recent stories about court staff who did things that nobody who works in a courtroom is supposed to do.

The first one broke today.

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 398 Read More »

No More Second Road Test – and Tougher Rules for Riders: BC’s 2026 Licensing Overhaul

This summer, British Columbia will roll out the most significant changes to its Graduated Licensing Program in more than a decade, along with an entirely new Motorcyclist Licensing Program.

For most drivers the changes look like administrative tweaks. For anyone currently holding a Class 7 Novice licence, or thinking about getting a Class 6 motorcycle licence, the changes are anything but minor.

If you are a new driver, a parent of a new driver, or a rider, here is what you need to know. And why fighting a small ticket today may matter more than it used to.

No More Second Road Test – and Tougher Rules for Riders: BC’s 2026 Licensing Overhaul Read More »

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