arbitrary detention

R. v. Zacharias: SCC to Consider Alleged Charter Breaches in Drug Trafficking Case

On May 15, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada [“SCC” or “the Court”] will hear the appeal of R. v. Zacharias, 2022 ABCA 112 [“Zacharias”]. The appeal is from the Alberta Court of Appeal [“ABCA”] and relates to alleged breaches of the accused’s rights under ss. 8 and 9 of the Canadian Charter of Rights […]

Understanding the Right to Counsel: SCC Decides R v Lafrance

We’ve all seen a classic interrogation scene in movies or on TV. The police sit an accused person down, start asking questions, and hope he doesn’t “lawyer up.” What we understand from this is simple: once you ask for a lawyer, the police can’t interrogate you without your lawyer present. And, perhaps more importantly, everyone […]

Setting the Scene: R v Le and the Importance of Context in s. 9 Analysis