Protective Detention or Constitutional Problem? Bill 48 and the Section 7 Case Against Manitoba's 72-Hour Detox Law
In November 2025, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to authorize 72 hours of involuntary detention for intoxicated individuals, tripling the previous limit with near-unanimous legislative support. Bill 48, The Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act, passed through the legislature quickly, but the constitutional questions it raises will not resolve as easily.
Time Versus Evidence: Do Time Restrictions on NCRDM Applications Change Expert Witness Decisions?
In R. v Landrick [2022] BCCA 181, the appeal hinges on new expert evidence with the application of a “Not Criminally Responsible due to Mental Disability” (NCRMD) application. While an application for an NCRMD assessment is generally used as a defence during an original trial, there are instances where it can be used on appeal. The explanation given by the appeal Judge in this case calls attention to how limited time to receive an NCRMD assessment can impact expert witnesses
The Intersection of Credibility and Stereotypes in the Family Violence Context
Family violence is defined broadly in the Divorce Act, including any conduct “that is violent or threatening or that constitutes a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour.”[i] This includes psychological abuse and financial abuse.[ii]Family violence has been recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) as being “notoriously difficult to prove.”
Protecting Privacy at the Expense of Victims’ Rights: R v Bykovets
The internet has forever altered the criminal landscape, making it easier for offenders to collect, share and trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across both the regular and dark web. Between 2014 and 2022, there were 15,630 reports from police of online sexual offences against children and 45,816 reports of online CSAM in Canada.
IP Addresses - Do Police Have a Right to Use as Evidence?
The internet has become part of our everyday life in today’s society. Browsing the internet for hours at a time is not an uncommon practice. When someone uses the internet, they leave their fingerprint in the form of an Internet Protocol Address (IP Address). “An IP address is a string of numbers assigned to an internet-connected device. Think of it like an address on a house. Your computer network uses the IP address to communicate with other computers, websites, and all par
