Blog

This week on Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! we look at the use of out-of-court statements to prove the identity of an accused sexual assailant. The complainant could not identify her assailant in court, but the judge admitted her out of court statements describing his identity as evidence for the truth of the fact that he was the perpetrator. A very interesting and important case, especially in light of the #MeToo era.

This week on the Driving Law Podcast, I speak with Paul Doroshenko about the Abbott SoToxa’s approval and why it is problematic for Canadians. Then, we talk about a recent tweet from BC MLA Bowinn Ma about crash risks associated with Class 4 drivers as opposed to Class 5 drivers and why this is important for ridesharing in British Columbia. Finally, we look at a recent fine issued to a driver who was charged in the dooring death of a cyclist.

I’m also pleased to announce that the Driving Law podcast is now part of the Cannabis Media Collective!

You can listen online on SoundCloud, PlayerFM, or subscribe on iTunes!

There are many ordinary substances that can cause a person who has consumed very little or no alcohol at all to fail a breathalyzer test. In this video series, Paul Doroshekno and I head into the Acumen Labs to test out theories given to us from the public, from clients, and from our colleagues about what can make a person fail a roadside breathalyzer test.

This week, Paul and I look at the question of whether hand sanitizer can cause a false positive reading on a breathalyzer. And while the answer is obvious if you actually drink hand sanitizer, the experiment we conduct is somewhat more nuanced. In our experiment, we take hand sanitizer and rub it into our hands, then simply touch our faces.

Watch the video to find out if only touching your face with hand sanitizer can cause a falsely high reading on a breathalyzer.

Should the Catholic Church have to foot the bill for claims it paid out to residential school survivors? What if they had an insurance company that was willing to cover them for it, but only if the claimants went through the long insurance process? In my opinion, it was more fair for the Catholic Church to pay out the claims and for the insurance company to reimburse them than for the Catholic Church to drag people through a protracted process that would only lengthen their suffering.

The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear this case. Watch the video to learn more.

This week on the Driving Law Podcast, I speak with Ben Dooley from CKNW Radio about whether you can get an impaired driving charge in a wheelchair. As a wheelchair user, Ben provides his input on a court judgment in which a man was convicted for impaired driving while in a motorized wheelchair. Then, he provides some suggestions for how the law can change to guard against discrimination against people who use wheelchairs.

Paul Doroshenko about the issue of charging people with criminal offences and Motor Vehicle Act offences on the same information in court. This can frustrate the process and may invalidate the informations… Paul and I explain why.

I’m also pleased to announce that the Driving Law podcast is now part of the Cannabis Media Collective!

You can listen online on SoundCloud, PlayerFM, or subscribe on iTunes!