Canada

Canada’s New Surveillance Bill and What it Means for Your Privacy

A new federal bill introduced in Parliament on March 12, 2026 significantly expands the power of police and intelligence agencies to access your personal digital information. And often without the safeguards Canadians have long relied on.

Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, 2026, is presented as a modernization of existing law. But a closer look reveals provisions that should concern anyone who values privacy in the digital age.

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Canada’s New Surveillance Bill and What it Means for Your PrivacyRead More »

Canada’s New Surveillance Bill and What it Means for Your Privacy Read More »

Your Right to Silence in Police Investigations

Woman in sunglasses sitting in a car, holding up her driver's license while a police officer in uniform writes a ticket outside her window.

If you remember one phrase when dealing with the police, it should be this: “lawyer told me not to talk to you.” That line is more than a meme or a slogan. It captures a core legal protection that exists to shield ordinary people from accidentally harming themselves during police investigations.

Understanding your right to silence can make the difference between protecting yourself and creating evidence the police did not already have.

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Your Right to Silence in Police InvestigationsRead More »

Your Right to Silence in Police Investigations Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 376

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Lottery Law Edition

I’d like to win a big lottery prize. Who wouldn’t? There have been two distillery owners who won big in Canadian lotteries, and I think I should be next. The odds aren’t good, however. But it appears the odds are good that with any winning ticket there will be some legal drama.

A winning ticket can bring out the best in people, although recent news stories about lottery wins suggest the opposite. Here are three recent cases that prove a lottery win may bring big legal headaches.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 376Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 376 Read More »

Episode 429: Demerits, Dishonesty, and the Dump Truck Tesla Push

This week on Driving Law, Paul and I look at a Nanaimo case involving a cognitively impaired driver who scored 215 demerits on a medical assessment, a court ruling on improperly sworn police reports, hidden roadside surveillance in the U.S., and a dump truck pushing a Tesla in Richmond.

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Episode 429: Demerits, Dishonesty, and the Dump Truck Tesla PushRead More »

Episode 429: Demerits, Dishonesty, and the Dump Truck Tesla Push Read More »

Episode 428: Supreme Court’s “Goldson” Decision – Breath Tests, Due Process, and a Bus Heist

The Supreme Court of Canada handed down decisions this week that mark a dark day for fair trial rights in Canada. In the Goldson line of cases, the Court ruled that prosecutors don’t have to file both the qualified technician’s and the analyst’s certificates for breath-test calibration — a shortcut that keeps key evidence out of reach for the defence.

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Episode 428: Supreme Court’s “Goldson” Decision – Breath Tests, Due Process, and a Bus HeistRead More »

Episode 428: Supreme Court’s “Goldson” Decision – Breath Tests, Due Process, and a Bus Heist Read More »

Is Running a Red Light Dangerous Driving?

a red light is shown at a traffic intersection in a city

Facing a dangerous driving charge can be an incredibly stressful and complex experience. When an incident results in tragic consequences, understanding the difference between civil and criminal liability is crucial. A recent case, R. v. Moshfeghi Zadeh, 2025 BCCA 293, from the BC Court of Appeal, helps to answer some questions about the degree to which driving must depart from the norm to be dangerous driving.

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Is Running a Red Light Dangerous Driving?Read More »

Is Running a Red Light Dangerous Driving? Read More »

The Science and “Pseudoscience” of Detecting Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis

A distressed man sitting in a car at night with a police car's flashing lights visible through the window, holding his head in frustration.

I’m often cynical of police methods for detecting impaired driving, but I am cynical with reliable science on my side. The legalization of cannabis brought attention to the problem of identifying people driving while impaired by cannabis. For our practice, understanding the scientific limitations of current detection methods is essential, because it directly impacts how we defend cannabis impaired driving cases.

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The Science and “Pseudoscience” of Detecting Driving Under the Influence of CannabisRead More »

The Science and “Pseudoscience” of Detecting Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 359

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Strange Doings About The RCMP

Often strange things happen in and around police detachments. The public hears about them because someone got charged or sued, or because it can’t be hidden and then makes it into the news.

Much takes place that we learn of due to our daily contacts with the police and we keep it to ourselves. We do this not because of confidentiality or legal privilege. It’s rare that we have a solicitor-client relationship with the police. Usually we keep these secrets out of fairness, to preserve relationships or because nothing good would come from sharing. That’s probably true in many walks of life, but in our practise area, the stories are often particularly interesting and weird and sometimes wacky. Here are three that did come to light.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 359Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 359 Read More »

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