In this episode of Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko break down a troubling new BC Supreme Court decision that reshapes how delay and disclosure are treated in traffic court. They explain why the ruling creates serious traps for self represented drivers and why it misunderstands how traffic court actually works in practice.
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Judges hold enormous power. They control courtrooms, decide liberty, and are trusted to follow rules even when no one is watching. Most do. Some forget where the line is. This week’s stories share a common theme: judges who appeared to forget that wearing a robe does not turn you into a dispatcher, a police officer, or someone above the criminal law.
…Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 378 Read More »
You might think fighting a traffic ticket is straightforward. Pay the fine, accept the points, and move on. But what happens when that simple decision threatens your entire livelihood? The recent case of R. v. Chen, 2025 BCSC 2350 offers a stark reminder that even minor convictions can have major, unforeseen consequences, especially when you navigate the legal system without expert advice.
This case revolved around Mr. You-Yu Chen, a full-time ride-share (Uber) driver in British Columbia.
…Why You Need a Lawyer to Help Avoid Points and Unintended License ConsequencesRead More »
Why You Need a Lawyer to Help Avoid Points and Unintended License Consequences Read More »
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 explores a case challenging a provincial Airbnb ban. The applicant, who operated multiple short-term rentals, argued that the new licensing regime violated his Charter rights—specifically, his right to equality under section 15. While the courts rejected the claim and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the case, it raised important questions about the intersection of economic participation, immutable characteristics, and evolving forms of work in the gig economy.
…Airbnb Bans: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t!Read More »
Airbnb Bans: Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! Read More »
This week on Driving Law, Kyla and Paul examine Bill C-16, a sweeping federal criminal law bill that quietly rewrites court delay rules, evidence retention timelines, and sentencing discretion — with serious consequences for impaired driving cases.
…Episode 432: Bill C-16, Court Delays, and a CVS Officer CrashRead More »
Episode 432: Bill C-16, Court Delays, and a CVS Officer Crash Read More »
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 Update – BC Edition: Volume 5 Read More »
I love my dog. Wrigley has been my companion, my friend, my protector and when I’m down, my primary emotional support. He has given me so much, and we have a deep emotional bond. Sadly, he’s very old now. He can’t hear. He pees on my kitchen floor. But we still enjoy our time together, he enjoys being with me and I love him so.
One can understand the emotional bond people have with their pets. Certainly few people think of their pets as a possession but more akin to an important person in their life. Years ago, in a relationship split, I ended up with Wrigley, and my ex ended up with our other dog. We didn’t go to court; it just seemed like a sensible way. Nevertheless, I found it hard, and I think of my other older companion very often to this day.
When relationships end, property gets divided. People often think of pets as family. The law does not always share that view. Courts are generally not interested in feelings or bonds people have with their pets, although there seems to be an increasing recognition that this should be considered. This week, we look at four weird and wacky cases that show how messy it gets when the law meets the emotional lives of people and their animals.
…Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 377 Read More »
On November 14, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) delivered its judgment in R. v. Larocque, 2025 SCC 36, a companion case to R. v. Rousselle, 2025 SCC 35. This ruling clarifies the Crown’s evidentiary burden when prosecuting the “80 and over” offence, focusing specifically on how much information about the alcohol standard used in breath testing must be proven at trial.
The case revolved around Stéphane Larocque, who was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint and subsequently charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equal to or exceeding 80 mg percent. At trial, the Crown introduced certificates from the qualified technician and two analysts to satisfy the preconditions required to utilize the statutory presumption of accuracy in s. 320.31(1) of the Criminal Code.
The issue before the SCC was technical but highly significant: Must the Crown prove the specific numerical target value of the alcohol standard used during the system calibration check to benefit from the presumption of accuracy for breath sample analysis results?
…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 reclassification of firearms by the Canadian government, which changed some restricted firearms to prohibited. Firearm owners received notices from the Chief Firearms Officer that they were no longer permitted to possess certain firearms and were instructed to surrender them.
The affected individuals argued that this effectively revoked their firearms licences, which should have triggered review rights in provincial court. However, the courts disagreed, ruling that the issue was about regulatory classification, not revocation, and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the provincial court. The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the appeal.
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