After President Donald Trump announced his intention to end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens born in the United States, questions were raised in the media about what is birthright citizenship and does it exist in Canada. Trump said he is planning to sign an executive order to end the right to citizenship for babies born […]
What is birthright citizenship? Continue Reading »
A new lawyer has joined the Acumen team. Brandon Moscoe was called to the bar earlier this month. He was sworn in by Kyla Lee at our downtown Vancouver office and we’re thrilled to have him. Brandon joined us last year as an articling student after completing his JD at Thompson Rivers University Faculty of
Brandon Moscoe joins Acumen team as lawyer Continue Reading »
When the Supreme Court of Canada released its reasons in R. v. Jordan, the criminal justice system was taken by surprised. The creation of a presumptive delay ceiling of eighteen months for cases in provincial court and thirty months for those in superior court had judges, lawyers, and court staff scrambling to hurry matters along. And
Fear and Loathing in the Courthouse: Problems Post Jordan Continue Reading »
After a near 100-year prohibition, legalization has finally arrived in Canada. While many of you out there might see this as a cause for celebration, be warned; legalization might not mean what you think it does. Far from being the start of a never-ending weed bacchanal, authorities will still be carefully regulating Canadians’ cannabis consumption.
Five surprising new offences under the Cannabis Act Continue Reading »
The thorny issue of whether there should be limitations to parents’ rights to raise their children cropped up in a news story this week involving a father-of-five who filed a legal challenge after the BC government banned him from allowing his children to use public transit unsupervised. In a blog post, Adrian Crook explained why
Are there limits to parents’ rights to decide how their children are raised? Continue Reading »
ICBC will introduce a new “unlisted driver protection” fee next year for people who occasionally let friends or family members not listed on their policy drive their vehicle. For $50 a year, vehicle owners can protect themselves should the person they hand their keys over to gets into an accident. According to the media, unlisted
ICBC’s new unlisted driver protection fee encourages unsafe driving Continue Reading »
There are some really funny and weird lawyers videos out there. And there are good reasons for that. Most trial and courtroom lawyers have a flair for the dramatic. After all, courtrooms are often filled with the drama and spectacle of the human experience. Delivering the right question or the smart argument in just the
Funny and weird lawyer videos Continue Reading »
Some big announcements this week regarding the approved drug screening device for Canada will leave many people wondering, what’s next for the Dräger DrugTest 5000 (DDT 5000)? At least two forces in BC, Vancouver and Delta, stated they will not be using the device once new marijuana-impaired driving legislation comes into effect on October 17.
What next for the Dräger DrugTest 5000? Continue Reading »
Acumen Law’s Paul Doroshenko and Kyla Lee were in Ottawa this week testifying at the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. They were there because of the tangible threat Omnibus Bill C-75 poses to our justice system. We have been critical of the proposed legislation for a while now so when
Paul Doroshenko and Kyla Lee provide testimony on Omnibus Bill C-75 Continue Reading »
We had a lot of fun on Talk Like A Pirate Day. Providing legal information as pirates was an interesting project for us with all sorts of challenges. Thanks to everyone who engaged with us on Twitter and watched our videos on YouTube. How strange was that? It was clearly unusual for lawyers to dress
Legal Information from Pirates Continue Reading »
Bill C-45 received Royal Assent from Parliament in June. When it comes into effect on October 17, it will create the Cannabis Act, the legislation that will permit the use and selling of marijuana. The act includes restrictions on the advertising of cannabis. Unfortunately, these restrictions go too far. They invoke a blanket ban on
Bill C-45 violates our fundamental freedom of expression Continue Reading »
When the Federal Government announced the approved drug screening device for use by Canadian police during roadside screening in Criminal Code investigations was going to be the Dräger DrugTest 5000, we immediately shared our reservations. How did we have reservations in the first place? Simple. We had already done our research. We spend a lot
A first look at Dräger DrugTest 5000 Continue Reading »
