Table of Contents Dedication... iii Preface... v Table of Cases... xv Chapter 1 Substantive Criminal Law A. General Principles... 1 1. Causation... 1 (a) Causation for Impaired Driving Causing Bodily Harm/Death... 1 (b) Voluntary Consumption of Narcotics by Victim is not an Intervening Act... 2 2. Party Liability... 3 (a) Aiding and Abetting... 3 3. Conspiracy Mens Rea... 5 B. Offences... 7 1. Assault on a Police Officer... 7 2. Bestiality: Penetration is a Required Element... 7 3. Cruelty to Animals... 10 4. Dangerous Driving Elements of Offence/Proof of Offence... 12 5. Failure to Provide Necessities of Life... 13 6. Infanticide... 15 7. Murder: Constructive Murder by Way of Unlawful Confinement... 18
viii Annual Review of Criminal Law, 2016 8. Sexual Assault... 20 (a) Actus Reus: Sexual Nature of Contact... 21 (b) HIV Disclosure... 21 9. Human Trafficking Constitutionality... 24 10. Weapons Offences: Unauthorized Possession of Prohibited Weapons... 27 C. Defences... 27 1. Consent to Bodily Force... 27 2. The Spanking Defence: Section 43... 29 3. Sexual Touching: the Close in Age Defence... 30 4. De minimis non curat lex as a Defence to Assault... 32 5. Duress... 33 6. Entrapment... 35 7. Sexual Assault... 38 (a) Honest but Mistaken Belief in Consent... 38 (b) Duty to Take All Reasonable Steps to Ascertain Age of Complainant... 39 8. NCRMD/Insanity... 41 (a) Retrospective Application of High-offender Designation... 41 (b) Charter Challenge to NCRMD Defence under ss. 7 & 15 Unsuccessful... 42 (c) NCRMD Defence Applies to Strict Liability Provincial Offences (Quebec)... 45 9. Self-defence... 47 (a) Old Law Considerations Relevant to Assessment of Self-defence under New Law... 47 (b) Degree of Force Used by Police Officer in Self-defence must be Objectively Reasonable... 51 10. Provincial Offences: Due Diligence Defence to the Offence of Selling Tobacco to a Minor... 52
Table of Contents ix Chapter 2 Policing and the Charter A. Section 7 Investigative Stage Rights... 55 B. Section 8 Unreasonable Search and Seizure... 58 1. Reasonable Expectation of Privacy... 58 2. Was the Search Authorised by Law?... 65 (a) Common Law Search Powers... 65 (b) Statutory Search Powers... 73 3. Was the Law Itself Reasonable?... 83 4. Was the Manner of Search Reasonable?... 84 C. Section 9 Arbitrary Detention... 88 1. Was there a Detention?... 88 2. Was the Detention Arbitrary?... 91 D. Section 10 Rights on Arrest or Detention... 100 1. Section 10(a)...100 2. Section 10(b)...101 (a) Informational Duties...101 (b) Implementational Duties...101 E. Section 11(b) Trial Within a Reasonable Time... 105 F. Charter Remedies... 109 1. Section 24(1)...109 2. Section 24(2)...111 Chapter 3 Evidence A. Witnesses and Presentation of Evidence... 117 1. Exhibits...117 2. Cross-Examination of Witnesses...118 3. Fresh Evidence on Appeal...127
x Annual Review of Criminal Law, 2016 B. Methods of Proof... 130 1. Confessions/Admissions...130 2. Identification...133 3. Circumstantial Evidence...136 (a) Circumstantial Evidence Generally...136 (b) Post-Offence Conduct...140 C. Exclusionary Rules... 144 1. General Discretion to Exclude...144 2. Character Evidence...148 (a) Similar Fact Evidence...148 (b) Evidence of Prior Discreditable Conduct...151 3. Hearsay...154 (a) Defining Hearsay...154 (b) The General Approach to Hearsay Evidence...155 (c) The Principled Exception...157 (d) Section 715...162 4. Expert Opinion Evidence...163 5. Prior Consistent Statements...168 Chapter 4 Criminal Procedure A. Pre-trial Procedure... 175 1. Jurisdiction...175 2. Bail...175 3. Preliminary Inquiry...177 4. Disclosure and Production...178 5. Form of Indictment...184 6. Severance...187 7. Pleas...188
Table of Contents xi B. Trial Procedures... 191 1. Jury Selection...191 2. Conduct of Trial...192 3. Reasonable Apprehension of Bias...197 4. Publication Bans and the Open Court Principle...199 5. Address to Jury...200 6. Charging the Jury...201 7. Jury Deliberations...203 C. Post-trial Procedures... 208 1. Right to Appeal...208 2. Appeals by the Crown...213 3. Appeals by the Accused...216 (a) Unreasonable Verdicts...216 (b) Errors of Law...224 (c) Miscarriage of Justice...232 (d) Insufficient Reasons...242 (e) Curative Proviso...246 4. Remedies...249 Chapter 5 Sentencing A. Sentencing Procedures and Hearings... 253 1. Standard of Review on Appeal...253 2. Presumption Against Retrospectivity...258 3. Resolution of Factual Disputes...260 4. Privilege Against Self-Incrimination...262 5. Notice of Intention to Exceed Recommended Sentence...262 B. Sentencing Principles and Rules... 264 1. Aggravating and Mitigating Factors...264
xii Annual Review of Criminal Law, 2016 (a) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder...264 (b) Urban Gun Violence...268 2. Collateral Consequences...268 3. Mandatory Minimum Sentences...269 (a) Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(3)(a)(i)(D)..269 (b) Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(3)(a)(i)(A) & (C)...275 (c) Criminal Code, s. 212(2) & (4)...275 (d) Criminal Code, s. 244.2(3)(b)...276 (e) Criminal Code, s. 239...279 4. Aboriginal Sentencing Principles...282 (a) Basic Principles per Saskatchewan Court of Appeal...282 (b) Practical Framework per Alberta Court of Appeal...286 (c) Where Victim of Manslaughter is Aboriginal Woman...291 (d) Where Manslaughter for Benefit of Street Gang...293 5. Pre-Sentence Credit...295 (a) Calculation of Pre-Sentence Credit...295 (b) Section 515(9.1) Exception Where Offender Detained Primarily Because of a Previous Conviction...298 (c) Sections 524(4) and 524(8) Exceptions Where Offender Detained Due to Alleged Breach...304 6. Multiple Offences...305 C. Sentencing Options... 307 1. Parole Ineligibility...307 2. Probation...312 3. Restitution...314 4. Fines in Lieu of Forfeiture...315 5. Victim Fine Surcharge...318 (a) Charter Breach as Applied to Persons with Mental Disability...318
Table of Contents xiii (b) Improper Use of Nominal Fines to Circumvent Victim Fine Surcharge...319 D. Sentencing Specific Offences... 319 1. Nearly the Equivalent to Murder...319 2. Sexual Offences...320 (a) Starting Point for Major Sexual Interference...320 (b) Exploitation of Child by Adult in Position of Trust...328 3. Robbery...328 4. Driving Offences...332 5. Criminal Organization Offences...334 6. Drug Offences...335 (a) Possession of Heroin for the Purpose of Trafficking...335 (b) Possession of Cocaine and Morphine for the Purpose of Trafficking...336 (c) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of Proceeds of Crime...336 7. Firearms Offences...338 (a) Criminal Code, s. 244.2(1)(a)...338 (b) Criminal Code, ss. 86(2), 91(1) and 95(1)...341 8. Offences by Police Officers...342 9. Offences Involving Worker Safety...343 10. Taking Part in a Riot...345 E. Dangerous and Long-Term Offenders... 348 1. Constitutionality of Sections 753(1) and 753(4.1)...348 2. Fitness at Dangerous Offender Hearing...352 3. Dangerous Offender Designation, Indeterminate Sentence...354 4. Long-Term Offender, Determinate Sentence and Supervision Order...361 F. Youth Criminal Justice Act... 364
xiv Annual Review of Criminal Law, 2016 Appendix Significant Legislative Developments...367 Index...369