The Defence Toolkit

The Defence Toolkit serves up summaries and commentary on the editor’s choice of the three best Canadian criminal defence cases every week. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to get notified of new posts.

The Defence Toolkit – September 26, 2026: More Unsavoury Witnesses

by Pawel Milczarek | 26 September 2026 | NCRMD, Reasonable Apprehension of Bias, Vetrovec Witnesses | 0 Comments

This week's top three summaries: R v Rosbergen, 2026 BCCA 314: Vetrovec #caution, R v Rashid, 2026 BCCA 364: NCRMD rejected, R v MM, 2026 ONCA 617: excessive #intervention R v Rosbergen, 2026 BCCA 314 [July 23, 2026] Vetrovec Caution: The Warning must be of Extreme Caution, the Greatest Care, Unsafe or Dangerous [Reasons by Fleming J.A. with Mayer and MacNaughton JJ.A. concurring] AUTHOR'S NOTE: A proper Vetrovec warning must provide the jury with a sufficiently sharp caution about the danger...

The Defence Toolkit – September 19, 2026: Uneven Scrutiny

by Pawel Milczarek | 19 September 2026 | Adverse Inference to a Party, Delayed Reasons, Uneven Scrutiny | 0 Comments

This week's top three summaries: R v Hornsby, 2026 ONCA 604: uneven #scrutiny, R v Qita, 2026 ONCA 554: #delay in reasons, R v White Cow, 2026 ABCJ 117: #witness uncalled R v Hornsby, 2026 ONCA 604 [August 27, 2026] Uneven Scrutiny: General Credibility Assessments Cannot Replace Count by Count Proof [Reasons by Roberts J.A. with M. Tulloch C.J.O. and J. Dawe JJ.A. concurring] AUTHOR'S NOTE: A generalized finding that a witness—particularly an accused—is not credible cannot become a fixed lens...

The Defence Toolkit – September 12, 2026: Youthful Witnesses

by Pawel Milczarek | 12 September 2026 | Air of Reality, Credibility, Omissions, Self-Defence, Sexual Offences Against Children | 0 Comments

This week's top three summaries: R v Lovell, 2026 BCCA 361: #child witnesses, R v DV, 2026 ONCA 611: #omissions, R v Simms, 2026 BCCA 363: air of #reality R v Lovell, 2026 BCCA 361 [September 1, 2026] Child Witnesses: Material Inconsistencies, Inaccuracies, Exaggerations and Embellishment are Significant Despite Youth of Witness [Reasons by Winteringham J.A. with Edelmann and Francis JJ.A. concurring] AUTHOR'S NOTE: The youthful age of a witness, particularly a complainant in a sexual assault...

The Defence Toolkit – July 25, 2026: Sleepwalking

Jul 25, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v DW, 2026 ABKB 519: #sleepwalk sex , R v Samandari-Matof, 2026 ABCA 55: #possession, R v Olafson, 2026 ABCJ 92: 11(b) court #overbooking R v DW, 2026 ABKB 519 [July 17, 2026] Sexual Assault Voluntariness: Sleepwalking [A.K. Akgungor...

The Defence Toolkit – July 17, 2026: An Open Crate

Jul 17, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Parsley, 2026 NLCA 23: s.8 unusual #freight , R v Marjanovic, 2026 MBCA 61: #consecutive to life, R v MacKinnon, 2026 NSCA 54: #functus R v Parsley, 2026 NLCA 23 [June 29, 2026] Charter s.8: Freight Delivery [Reasons by D.M. Boone...

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The Defence Toolkit – July 4, 2026: Police Discipline Disclosure

Jul 4, 2026

This week's top three summaries: Edmonton (PS) v McKee, 2026 SCC 24: #discipline disclosure, R v Brennan, 2026 ONCA 459: circumstantial #possession, R v Sandhu, 2026 BCCA 268: #admissions and circular reasoning Edmonton (Police Service) v McKee, 2026 SCC 24 [June 26,...

The Defence Toolkit – June 26, 2026: DNA Retention

Jun 26, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Vu, 2026 ONCA 429: #DNA retention, R v Ghandi, 2026 ONCA 407: virtual trial ID, R v AK, 2026 NUCA 4: rushed #deliberations R v Vu, 2026 ONCA 429 [June 17, 2026] Sentencing: Conditional Discharges and DNA Retention [Reasons by...

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The Defence Toolkit – June 6, 2026: Other Officer’s Conclusions

Jun 6, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Okich, 2026 ABCJ 76: s.8 #reasonable grounds, R v Brashko, 2026 ABKB 407: #circumstantial evidence, R v Simpson, 2026 ONSC 2940: #remote trial R v Okich, 2026 ABCJ 76 [May 20, 2026] Charter s.8/9: Reasonable Grounds for Arrest...

The Defence Toolkit – May 30, 2026: Incidental Search

May 30, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Munn, 2026 ABKB 253: s.8 incident to #arrest, R c Gagnon, 2026 QCCA 583: s.12 man min CP, R v Bremner, 2026 ABCA 77: #circumstantial ID R v Munn, 2026 ABKB 353 [May 7, 2026] Charter s.8: Search Incidental to Arrest [W.N. Renke J.]...

The Defence Toolkit – May 23, 2026: Guns in a Locker

May 23, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Paddy, 2026 SKCA 27: #prejudice v probative, R v ML, 2026 ONCA 339: #principled exp'n, R v DP, 2026 NSCA 34: #reasons on credibility R v Paddy, 2026 SKCA 27 [February 20, 2026] Conduct outside Indictment Period: Prejudicial Value...

The Defence Toolkit – May 16, 2026: Jury Challenge for Drug Use

May 16, 2026

This week's top three summaries: R v Sullivan, 2026 ABCA 140: #challenge for cause, R v Lekhraj, 2026 BCCA 175: accused #character, R v RN, 2026 ONCA 315: accused #fabrication R v Sullivan, 2026 ABCA 140 [April 29, 2026] Jury Challenge for Cause: Attitudes towards...

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