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By Joseph Neuberger Neuberger & Partners Criminal Defence Lawyers Preliminary hearings have played an important role in the justice system ever since the Criminal Code of Canada was introduced in 1892. As a result of these hearings, many cases have been granted “stays” of proceedings – meaning that they did not proceed to trial, or charges withdrawn as the Crown often re-assesses reasonable prospect of conviction.  The Crown always has...
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Joseph Neuberger, Neuberger & Partners LLP Criminal Defence Lawyers As an adjunct to a previous short piece I penned on Bill C-75, I believe it is important to note another significant blow to our rights in Canada. Among many changes brought in under Bill C-75, the Liberal government also struck a direct blow to the right on an accused person to pick an impartial jury in a criminal trial. In...
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Joseph Neuberger, Neuberger & Partners LLP Criminal Defence Lawyers   Effective September 19, 2019, the Liberal government struck a blow to due process in the name of political correctness.  Recent amendments to the Criminal Code as amended by Bill C-75 have eliminated preliminary hearings for any offence with a maximum penalty under 14 years of imprisonment.  The government professed that this was to modernize the criminal justice system and to...
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In December of 2017, Ontario passed Bill 174 regulating the sale of recreational marijuana in the province. Under the Cannabis, Smoke-Free Ontario and Road Safety Statute Law Amendment Act there are changes to the distracted driving laws that came into effect on January 1st, 2019. This will have an impact on all drivers, not just those driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis. Under the new amendment law enforcement...
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Joseph A. Neuberger Neuberger & Partners LLP www.nrlawyers.com If you have been charged with sexual assault, it is of the utmost importance that you and your lawyer lay out a coherent defence theory and obtain all necessary evidence to marshal your defence.  This will often include details of the complainant’s sexual history as it relates to your defence and to issues that are relevant in the evidence of the complainant. ...
Continue reading How the Recent Changes to the Criminal Code May Affect Your Sexual Assault Trial...

By Joseph A. Neuberger Neuberger & Partners LLP www.nrlawyers.com Growing public and media attention on the way sexual assault trials are conducted has increased the scrutiny upon defence lawyers and how these trials are conducted, with a focus on the way a complainant experiences the trial process. Since new legislation was passed in Canada, by Bill C-51 in December 2018, there are new rules governing evidence and the cross-examination of...
Continue reading An Attack on the Right to Make Full Answer and Defence in Sexual Assault Trials...

Joseph A. Neuberger, LL.B., LL.M., C.S. Neuberger & Partners LLP www.nrlawyers.com In a recent precedent setting case out of Alberta, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned Bradley Barton’s manslaughter acquittal and ordered a new trial due to the Crown’s failure to be alert to the issue of the victim’s privacy regarding her sexual history. Mr. Barton was on trial for first degree murder in the death of an Indigenous woman...
Continue reading Supreme Court of Canada Clarifies Use of Prior Sexual Activity and Re-defines Consent in Honest but Mistaken Belief in Consent Defences in Sexual Assault Cases...

By Christopher K. Assié & Joseph Neuberger Neuberger & Partners LLP The new amendments to the Criminal Code have changed the drinking and driving landscape significantly. Two changes are attracting particular attention due to their impacts on protected Charter rights and a serious potential for wrongful convictions. Arguably the most concerning amendment is the creation of a new offence – consuming too much alcohol or drugs after driving. Under s....
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Recent changes to the impaired driving laws by the Federal Government developed to combat drinking and driving offences and the impact of legalizing cannabis, the laws surrounding impaired driving in Canada changed on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. These changes come as part of Bill C-46 which was enacted to ensure deterrence from impaired driving by making the penalties some of the most severe in the world. What Hasn't Changed The...
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The growing concern to address sexual assault allegations on university campuses has resulted in a new vigilance to investigate and litigate allegations against students and faculty with little to no protection of the accused person’s fundamental rights.  Increasingly students and faculty members accused of sexual misconduct, even absent criminal charges, are being forced to participate in pseudo-trials designed by universities. The accusations being made through these tribunals are often very...
Continue reading University Tribunals are no Substitute for Courts...

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