Dennis Okeymow didn’t pull the trigger. But on May 26, 2026, he became the first person in Canadian history to be convicted of manslaughter for selling a firearm — after the teenager he sold it to killed two Edmonton police officers. The verdict turns on a deceptively simple question: when does a gun seller’s liability end?
Ontario police are quietly deploying on-device investigative tools (ODITs) — state-grade spyware capable of intercepting encrypted messages, activating cameras, and logging keystrokes. Active prosecutions in Windsor and Brampton are raising urgent constitutional questions about warrants, disclosure, and the right to make full answer and defence. This article breaks down the legal issues defence counsel need to understand now.
The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized intimate partner violence as a standalone tort in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia. For criminal defence lawyers, this is not someone else’s problem. It changes how domestic files resolve, what goes on the record at trial, and what clients need to hear before they plead guilty.
The Supreme Court of Canada released a landmark decision today recognizing intimate partner violence as a standalone basis for civil liability, departing from the longstanding position that existing torts adequately addressed the harm.
R v Wilson, 2026 ONCJ 211 is the most significant DRE case since Bingley. An Ontario Court of Justice acquitted on a Refuse Demand charge after finding that skipping Step 1 of the 12-Step Drug Influence Evaluation — the breath alcohol test — means the evaluation was never completed, the demand was invalid, and the Crown’s case collapses at the threshold. The Court also dismantled the officer’s polydrug opinion indicator by indicator, rejected five General Indicators as speculation, and issued a pointed warning about confirmation bias built into the DRE program itself. Essential reading for any defence lawyer handling impaired driving or refuse charges involving a DRE.
By William Jaksa for LexWire.ca Introduction The Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) requires individuals convicted of designated sexual offences to register […]
Most defence lawyers watch for Crown evidence that crosses a line. Fewer watch for Crown evidence that was never properly vetted to begin with.
