Criminal Law — Episodes — The Law School Show

215. Sullivan, Chan, and Brown: Striking Down Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code and What Comes Next

Hosts Hailey Berge and Kelley Humber are joined by uOttawa Law Professor, Carissima Mathen, to discuss the implications of the recent May 13, 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decisions which struck down section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, declaring it to be unconstitutional. As Professor Mathen explains, even though Parliament had good intention to protect victims of crime with this provision, it ultimately resulted in violations of section 7 and 11(d) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that could not be justified. Even so, this unanimous 9-0 ruling resulted in a lot of public scrutiny and has left many of us wondering what it means and how the public will be affected.

198. Let’s Talk Pot: Cannabis Law (with Russell Bennett)

Our host, Shannon Reid, sits down (digitally) with Russell Bennett, expert cannabis lawyer, author, and fellow podcast host, to discuss the implications of legalization, the racist history of prohibition, and what it means to be a cannabis lawyer.

178. The Administration of Justice in the Youth Criminal Justice System (with Jodi Koffman and Hillarie Tasche)

Host Sabrina Dueck is joined by Jodi Koffman, a Senior Crown Attorney for the Manitoba Justice Prosecution Service, and Hillarie Tasche, a staff attorney at Legal Aid Manitoba, to discuss working in the Youth Criminal Justice System in Canada. Both guests specialize in youth crime and have worked together on many of their files.

166. Dr. Adelina Iftene on Prison Abolition

"Policy and legislation-wise, we still have a lot of work to do." Emma Partridge sits down with Dr. Adelina Iftene, author of "Punished for Aging: Vulnerability, Rights, and Access to Justice in Canadian Penitentiaries," to discuss the legal community's response to growing calls for prison abolition. Are lawyers pushing the conversation forward or just maintaining the status quo? Listen now.

165. Netflix, Notoriety, and Legal Entrepreneurship (with Tiger King's Joseph Fritz)

Joseph Fritz is a lawyer, legal entrepreneur, and advocate whose provocative statements in Netflix's wildly popular "Tiger King" made the name Carole Baskin one of the most notorious taglines of 2020. William White learns how Joe earned his stripes and eventually brought a range of legal issues into the zeitgeist of a society stuck at home.

161. Criminal Defence, "Technicalities", and Going to Trial (with Jacob Stilman)

Jacob Stilman, a practicing criminal defence lawyer with 30 years of experience, discusses the day-to-day life of a defence attorney. Host William Lundy asks for Jacob's response to that common question for criminal defence lawyers: "How could you live with defending that person?" They also discuss the charge that defence lawyers take advantage of "technicalities" to keep accused persons out of prison, and a broad range of other questions relevant to the practice of criminal defence.

160. The Adversarial System and the Administration of Justice: Practicing Criminal Law in Canada (with Carolyn Ayre)

Carolyn Ayre joins host Sabrina Dueck to discuss her journey through law, first as a defence lawyer for 18 years in Ontario and then as a Crown prosecutor for the Specialized Prosecutions Branch in Calgary. Carolyn reflects on her experiences on both sides of the adversarial system, discusses the importance of the duties of the Crown prosecutor in the criminal justice system, and shares advice for students looking to practice criminal law on either side of the system.

157. Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Rights Law and the Hidden Racial Profiling Project (with Sunil Gurmukh)

Systemic racism and racial profiling in law enforcement both exist in Canada. Lawyer Sunil Gurmukh has partnered with Western University Faculty of Law on the Hidden Racial Profiling Project, aimed at uncovering racial profiling in law enforcement across the country. Join Becca Orsini, host and 2L student at Western Law, as Gurmukh discusses his career as a human rights lawyer as well as his work on this project.

154. Race and Detention in R v Le (with Omar Ha-Redeye)

R v Le was a crucial development in the analysis of detention under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In R v Le, the Supreme Court of Canada incorporated the experience of racialized persons in interactions with law enforcement into the analysis of psychological detention. In this episode, Omar Ha-Redeye discusses the ways that R v Le responded to trends in Canadian and global understandings of racial discrimination, and offers listeners a look forward into the future of the intersection of race and policing in Canada.

EP 117 – All About Being a Criminal Defence Lawyer (with Ninetta Caparelli)

Ninetta Caparelli, a criminal defence lawyer at Greenspon Granger Hill, has defended clients on a variety of charges — ranging from impaired driving to various forms of assault — and has assisted in defending an array of complex criminal matters, including large scale drug projects (possession, trafficking, production), gun trafficking, and murder. In this episode, Ninetta introduce us to the world of criminal law, as well as the rewards and challenges of working as a criminal defence lawyer.

EP 115 – 7 Degrees, 6 Books, 5 Professorships, 4 Kids, 3 Jobs, 2 Sides, 1 Ace Attorney: An Interview with Dr. Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich

Join Amos Vang and Ryan Pistorius as they interview Dr. Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich on her research, her work-life balance, and current issues surrounding the overall criminal justice system and the youth criminal justice system. While acquiring multiple degrees, writing multiple books, and raising multiple children, Dr. Bromwich has served as a prosecutor, a criminal defence lawyer, and a professor at Carleton University.

EP 114 – Mental Health & Addictions in the Criminal & Legal Context (with Addictions Counsellor Kaitlin Baldwin)

In this podcast, Nicole McDermott and Addictions Counsellor, Kaitlin Baldwin discuss the interaction of substance abuse and addiction within the criminal context. They cover topics that include criminalization leading to stigmatization, and resulting recidivism due to these social structures. They also discuss vicarious trauma and the effect of substance abuse on not only clients, but on the stressful professional careers surrounding the criminal sphere.

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