criminal defence

Who Gets the Work? Legal Aid BC’s Own Data Reveals a Two-Tier System for Women and Newer Lawyers

Legal Aid BC exists to ensure that people who can’t afford a lawyer still have access to justice. It’s a mission rooted in fairness. But a demographic data report released in March 2026 and obtained through a freedom of information request by Vancouver lawyer Kyla Lee raises a pointed question: is the system that’s supposed to deliver fairness actually delivering it equally to the lawyers who work within it?

The short answer, based on the data, is no.

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Who Gets the Work? Legal Aid BC’s Own Data Reveals a Two-Tier System for Women and Newer LawyersRead More »

Who Gets the Work? Legal Aid BC’s Own Data Reveals a Two-Tier System for Women and Newer Lawyers 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.

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Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 399Read More »

Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 399 Read More »

Driving Law Episode 451: Photo Radar, AI & Young Lawyers

In Episode 451 of Driving Law, Paul Doroshenko is joined by articling students Alice and Alison for a special in-car episode discussing photo radar, traffic enforcement, legal education, and the future of law in the age of artificial intelligence.

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Driving Law Episode 451: Photo Radar, AI & Young LawyersRead More »

Driving Law Episode 451: Photo Radar, AI & Young Lawyers Read More »

Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving Cases

This week, we look at recent cases reinforcing that disclosure obligations and Charter rights remain critical in impaired driving prosecutions.

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Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving CasesRead More »

Episode 447: Disclosure and Charter Rights Still Matter in Impaired Driving Cases Read More »

Your Castle Under Siege: Understanding the Supreme Court’s Decision in R. v. Singer

As a lawyer, I often tell clients that your home is your castle. It is a foundational principle of our legal system that the state cannot cross your threshold without a warrant. However, the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision in R. v. Singer reveals that this principle is not absolute, neither when it comes to members of the public nor the police. 

This case explores the delicate balance between your Charter rights and the ever-expanding reach of police investigative powers.

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Your Castle Under Siege: Understanding the Supreme Court’s Decision in R. v. SingerRead More »

Your Castle Under Siege: Understanding the Supreme Court’s Decision in R. v. Singer Read More »

Lowering the Bar Is Not Access to Justice

The Ministry of Attorney General’s draft recommendations on regulated paralegals propose expanding non-lawyer advocacy into courts and administrative tribunals, including traffic court, some criminal matters, small claims, residential tenancy disputes, workers’ compensation matters, and family law in Provincial Court, with possible involvement in Supreme Court matters under a specialization model. 

The proposal is framed as an access to justice initiative, but make no mistake: It is not. It represents a policy choice to lower professional standards in high-stakes legal environments rather than confront the structural failures the government itself created. 

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Lowering the Bar Is Not Access to JusticeRead More »

Lowering the Bar Is Not Access to Justice Read More »

Kyla Lee named Corporate Vision: Businesswoman of the Year 2025

Kyla Lee has been named Canadian Legal Businesswoman of the Year 2025 at the Global Business Awards, hosted by Corporate Vision Magazine.

The Global Business Awards is an international program that recognises companies and individuals who are contributing to progress in their industries. Now in its ninth year, the awards have become known for celebrating both large and small organisations that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and a commitment to their field.

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Kyla Lee named Corporate Vision: Businesswoman of the Year 2025Read More »

Kyla Lee named Corporate Vision: Businesswoman of the Year 2025 Read More »

Episode 423: Road Rage, “Xavier’s Law,” and Why Due Process Still Matters

This week, we unpack the surge in road-rage cases, why Canada doesn’t need a bespoke “road-rage law,” and the legal flaws in the proposed “Xavier’s Law” that would suspend licences after any fatal crash. We close with a Florida cautionary tale about how small misconduct can snowball fast.

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Episode 423: Road Rage, “Xavier’s Law,” and Why Due Process Still MattersRead More »

Episode 423: Road Rage, “Xavier’s Law,” and Why Due Process Still Matters 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 »

A Misogynistic Mess: Heather Mallick’s Shameful Attack on Women in Criminal Defence

@kylaleelawyer

Hey @Toronto Star do better. This is gross and platforming this type of misogyny sets women in the legal profession back. Also – Megan Savard is GOAT level and that’s why she was hired. Not to be a “skirt” #Feminism #Misogyny #LAW #Legal #LegalProfession #WomenInLaw #WomenInCriminalDefense #CriminalDefense #CriminalDefenseLawyer #FemaleLawyer #LadyLawyer

♬ original sound – Kyla Lee

This morning, I opened the Toronto Star and found myself staring at one of the most offensive, regressive, and frankly misogynistic articles published by a mainstream Canadian outlet in recent memory. Heather Mallick’s opinion piece questioning why women defend men accused of sexual offences is not just misguided, it’s dangerous. It is a full-on assault on women in the legal profession, and it deserves to be called out for exactly what it is: sexist drivel cloaked in faux moral outrage.

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A Misogynistic Mess: Heather Mallick’s Shameful Attack on Women in Criminal DefenceRead More »

A Misogynistic Mess: Heather Mallick’s Shameful Attack on Women in Criminal Defence Read More »

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