Case of the Month

ARIHQ v CIUSSS, 2026 QCCS 1360. Decided April 22, 2026 This case, a decision on a labour arbitration in Quebec, may not appear relevant to criminal law at first glance. But the decision deals with an increasingly relevant issue for all areas of law, regardless of location or severity of the matter. What happens when a judge, arbitrator, or other legal decision-maker issues a decision that appears to be AI-generated? To provide some background (without getting too deep into Qu

R v Sullivan – April 29, 2026 2026 ABCA 52 ABCA overturns a conviction for second-degree murder and orders a new trial, due to the trial judge’s error in dismissing a jury challenge for cause regarding bias against drug addicts and drug users. The ABCA held that if there is sufficient evidence to support a reasonable possibility of bias or prejudicial attitudes in the community that could taint the impartiality of the jurors, counsel should be allowed to question the jury abo

R v. KB – April 15, 2026 2026 ABCA 118 The Appellant, KB had pled guilty to sexual assault, after penetrating his girlfriend while she was asleep, and was sentenced to 6 months custody followed by 12 months probation. KB was 17 at the time of the offence, and the victim was 15. On appeal, the appellant argued three points: That the sentencing judge had erred in assessing his moral responsibility, that the sentencing judge had inaccurately classified sexual assault as a “viole

R v Benn – January 19, 2026 2026 ABCA 14 Heard by the Alberta Court of Appeal; an appeal on two counts of second-degree murder. The Appellant argued that the trial judge had misinterpreted circumstantial evidence, and effectively shifted the burden of proof, expecting the appellant to prove his innocence rather than the Crown prove his guilt. The charges resulted from the August 28, 2020, shooting of Abas Ibrahim, Mohamed Shaikh, and Dimetri Marr that took place in Northwest

R v. Foxwell – April 4, 2025 RCMP arrested Appellant for drunk driving, who attempted to drive off after refusing to offer any documents, dragging an officer for 200 m. Appellant was convicted on 6 counts, and given a 16-month Conditional Sentence Order. Arrest occurred at 11:58 PM, who had a bail hearing at 1:30 PM the next day, Appellant released on $500 bail since he lived outside Alberta. As Leduc RCMP could only accept cash and Appellant only had cards, Appellant was