R v Manitowabi: The Significance – and Limits – of a Diagnosis of FASD for Young Persons Involved in the Criminal Justice System
Guest post by Brock Jones, Crown Counsel [1] The Ontario Court of Appeal released a ground-breaking decision today on the significance of a diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (“FASD”) for young persons in criminal. While the Court clearly acknowledged the nature of FASD and its implications for criminal culpability, it also put significant limits…
Have You Been Carded?
You’re walking home after school and from the corner of your eye you notice a police cruiser approaching you. You think nothing of it, as you haven’t committed a crime. Not too long after, you hear a “hey you” from the direction of the cruiser, and find the officer inside motioning at you to come…
Break and Enter
During a cold winter night closer to Christmas, a group of 18 year olds—Alan, Chris, Kyle and Jason—were hanging around the park where they noticed a van pull out of the driveway across the street filled with luggage sets. In curiosity, the group approached a dark non-lit house and rang the doorbell. No answer. They…
JOYRIDING
Jessica, a 14-year-old high school student, wanted to go to the mall with her friends after school. Neither she nor her friends, being the same age as her, had a license to drive to the mall and the mall was too far to walk to. At the same time, some of her friends did not…
Criminal vs. Civil Cases
In this post, law student volunteer Tracy Chen explains the different between criminal and civil law cases.Criminal Law http://martin-karcazes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Law-books.jpg The purpose of criminal law is to punish behaviour that offends society as a whole, even though only one person may have been harmed. A criminal case involves prosecution by the Crown (government) against an individual.…
As a Victim of Sexual Assault, What Can You Do?
Scenario:Melissa is a 15-year-old girl struggling with math at school. Fortunately, her new math teacher is extremely nice, offering her extra help with her homework after class. One day, when she goes to his office to ask him a question regarding the new assignment, he accidentally brushes her chest. Confused, she does nothing until he…
Fake ID and the Law: Video
Ever wondered about the potential legal consequences for getting caught with fake or borrowed ID? Check out this video produced by the PLE Team. Click here to watch the video! Learn about the law around fake IDs in Ontario. Watch these three teens as they learn about the possible consequences for getting caught with fake or…
Teenage Drunk Driving
Scenario: Johnny,17, was at a party at the start of the summer and he wanted to celebrate. At this party they were serving alcoholic drinks. Johnny had 6 beers to drink. After some dancing, he decided to go home because he had a 2 AM curfew. Johnny: I need to get home before 2am or…