Handling Summary Conviction Offences

On 18 December 2019, Bill C-75 amendments affecting the law of bail and the YCJA came into force. Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code received second reading and been referred to Committee on 19 February 2020. This Bill would ensure that judges undergo training to learn about the myths and stereotypes associated with sexual assault cases. It also would amend the Criminal Code to ensure judges are putting their reasons on the record when they rule on sexual assault cases. Case Law Updates: R v. K.J.M., 2019 SCC 55, 2019 CarswellAlta 2416, [2019] S.C.J. 55 - The Supreme Court held that there is no need to introduce a lower presumptive ceiling of unreasonable delay for youth matters. Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Kapoor, 2019 SKCA 85, [2019] S.J. 315 - The Court considered a Rule of Professional Conduct stating that a lawyer must not deliberately refrain from informing a tribunal of any binding authority that the lawyer considers to be directly on point and that has not been mentioned by another party. R. v. Kazman, 2020 ONCA 22, [2020] O.J. 136 The court found that trial judges may summarily dismiss Charter motions without hearing them on the merits where the broader interests of justice clearly demand it. It is unreasonable to expect that a trial judges deadlines can be ignored and that the trial judge will be obligated to set new deadlines.