01 April

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Sarah Leamon: Bill C-75 offers mixed bag of reforms but fails to address a key factor behind delays in justice system

Last week, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould introduced a massive, 300-page bill, aimed at rehauling our criminal justice system. While many aspects of Bill C-75 are intended to curb courtroom delay, others are focused on ending intimate partner violence and diversifying juries. But will this legislation be effective in achieving its objectives? Some critics are doubtful…but while the bill is far from perfect, there are some positives aspects. To read Sarah's commentary for The Georgia Straight, click here....

30 March

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Sarah Leamon media appearance on CBC’s Power and Politics

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Sarah Leamon

Criminal defence lawyer Sarah Leamon appeared on CBC's Power and Politics. She was a guest on the television program to debate the government's plans to legalize marijuana. Ms Leamon spoke about Bill C-46, the planned legislation that targets drug-impaired drivers. "The fact is," Ms Leamon said. "Since 1980, impaired driving in Canada has been on a steady decrease so there is no reason for us to believe that legislation on marijuana is going to create a situation where we are suddenly going to see an increase in drug-impaired drivers on our roadways." See the full video on CBC's website here....

02 March

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Kyla Lee interviewed about rainbow parking lot on Global News

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Kyla Lee

A parking lot could end up a paradise for a group of LGBTQ students and allies in Merritt, after city council rejected their proposal for a rainbow crosswalk. Students at Merritt Secondary School had planned the crosswalk for the intersection of Chapman Street and Coldwater Avenue, and would have installed it at no cost to the city. ?Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday against the proposal. The crosswalk was rejected, in part, because it could “open kind of a Pandora’s box” for any group that wanted a special crosswalk of their own, said Mayor Neil Menard. Councillors had also expressed concern about the coloured paint...

05 February

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Sarah Leamon interviewed by Global News on marijuana-impaired driving

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Sarah Leamon

B.C.’s new marijuana regulations include a 90-day driving ban that will apply to anyone caught driving while impaired by drugs. The province also said it will increase training for law enforcement officers to recognize impairment. But the new regulations could face court challenges due to a lack of reliable technology that can determine whether a driver is drug-impaired, said Sarah Leamon, a lawyer with Acumen Law Corporation. “I think that if legislation is passed on, say, March 1, it’s going to be challenged on March 2,” Leamon said. ...

01 February

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Kyla Lee interviewed by Global News on Empty Homes Tax

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Kyla Lee

The Unfair Vancouver Vacant Homes Tax Coalition describes its purpose in the name. The group is calling on the city to do something as the Feb. 2 deadline for the empty home tax declaration approaches. Rainer Borkenhagen says the group is made of members that are mostly retired and live across the country, but still own homes in Vancouver. Borkenhagen himself lives in Gibsons, but owns a condo in Vancouver. ...

31 January

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Paul Doroshenko interviewed by CKNW’s Mike Smyth on distracted driving

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Paul Doroshenko

Full interview available on CKNW: CKNW: Let's talk about distracted driving in our province now. we all know BC government has been sounding the alarm on the number of crashes and deaths caused by distracted driving in our province. they're bringing in huge new penalties on people caught using their phones behind the wheel of their car. You get set for even tougher action on this. With ICBC losing so much money, this is government is on the hunt for for new revenue so i suspect you might see those distracted driving penalties go even higher. but are the statistics telling us the...

30 January

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Sacha Roudette interviewed by CTV on cellphone driving numbers

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Sacha Roudette

From CTV: A BC law firm is raising serious questions tonight about whether using a cellphone while driving is as deadly as the government makes it out to be. Our Bhinder Sajan reports on the accidents statistics casting doubt on the crackdown: With distracted driving crashes on BC roads rising, ICBC has been telling us to drop our phones. Linking digital dives to death is a message one law firm now claims is full of hype. Sacha Roudette: It turned out the government had massively exaggerated the data. ICBC stats show 78 people die on average every year in BC in crashes where distraction is a...

30 January

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Paul Doroshenko interviewed by Global BC on cellphone driving numbers

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Paul Doroshenko

From Global BC: Are governments, ICBC and even the police exaggerating the dangers of distracted driving? A Richmond company says its Freedom of Information request has revealed far fewer deaths due to drivers using cellphones behind the wheel than officials claim. Ted Chernecki reports: Most of us have seen those intersection crackdowns on motorists suspected of using their cellphones while driving. You’ll see one officer here a West Van corporal, now retired, who at the time asked himself what was he doing here, really? Grant Gottegetreu: We’ve been told as traffic officers and police officers, it’s cellphones, right from the brass on down they’re...

30 January

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Paul Doroshenko interviewed on CKNW980 on cellphone driving numbers

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Paul Doroshenko

From CKNW/Global News: A Richmond lawyer says ICBC and the province are greatly exaggerating the number of deaths caused by using an electronic device behind the wheel. According to Paul Doroshenko, BC Coroners stats show that 14 people died from using an electronic device while driving between 2008 and 2016. This after ICBC said last year that 80 people a year were dying from distracted driving. “They lump in people who are staring at their radio, or just drift off not thinking, maybe people who fall asleep, with people with cellphone violations,” said Doroshenko. “Clearly, cellphone violations aren’t the threat they are made out...

30 January

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Paul Doroshenko interviewed by News1130 on cellphone driving numbers

Posted by Acumen Law

in Media, Media Paul Doroshenko

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Is our province’s public auto insurer providing us with misleading information about distracted driving and its consequences? A lawyer has new numbers suggesting cell phone use is not as big a factor in road deaths as we’ve been led to believe by ICBC. Just 14 deaths between 2008 and 2016 have been linked to people using electronic devices behind the wheel, according to the BC Coroner’s service — in contrast to ICBC’s website, which says 78 people die due to distracted driving each year. Lawyer Paul Doroshenko with Acumen Law got that information by filing a freedom of information...