Canada has some of the strictest firearm laws in the world, with regulations in place to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of violence. Not only can an individual receive a prohibition from possessing, using or owning firearms when they are convicted of a criminal offence, but they can also receive a firearms prohibition […]
Understanding Firearm Prohibitions in Canada Under Section 117.05 Continue Reading »
If you receive an Immediate Roadside Prohibition, your first thought may be “how can I fight this?” Then you get online, and you start reading about disputes and the appeal remedy for a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP). Some of the information the government puts out suggests that you can take your shot at their
The Appeal Remedy for a 90-Day Immediate Roadside Prohibition Continue Reading »
Vancouver lawyer Aasheesh Puri from Acumen Law urges the B.C. Review Board to evaluate and reconsider its current procedures and protocols in light of the recent triple stabbing incident in Chinatown. Authorities have charged Blair Evan Donnelly with three counts of aggravated assault in relation to the incident. It’s alleged that Donnelly, during a day-pass
Aasheesh Puri on CityNews: Lawyer calls for review of BC Review Board Continue Reading »
In British Columbia most DUIs are 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions, which are issued based on a roadside breath test taken with a hand-held breathalyzer. In one of Kyla Lee’s recent TikToks she explained why you can get a DUI in BC if you use a vape. We thought we should tell you what the government
Vaping and DUIs Continue Reading »
The Supreme Court of Canada changed the law at the end of June. Most people won’t notice, but for impaired driving lawyers (we’re a small group in this country) it’s big news. The decision involved someone who was prohibited from driving as a result of a bail condition while they were awaiting trial on an
Supreme Court Ruling: Calculating Time Served for a Driving Prohibition Continue Reading »
The behaviour of drivers on the road is governed by numerous pieces of legislation and countless court decisions. It can be difficult to discern the state of the law on any given action or failure to act in the operation of a motor vehicle. The Criminal Code governs driving offences. The Motor Vehicle Act also
A legal moving target: What constitutes dangerous driving? Continue Reading »
Those unfamiliar with the work of lawyers sometimes believe that only people who have lots of money can afford to hire lawyers. This cannot be further from the truth. At Acumen Law we believe in keeping costs low for our clients while maximizing the amount we achieve. We are lawyers because we believe in the
Lawyers acting in the interest of justice Continue Reading »
One thing lost in the discussion of random breath testing is the impact that this will have on the police. On an interview yesterday on 630 CHED retired traffic cop, Grant Gottgetreu indicated that he is worried about the flood of complaints from people who think they were asked to provide an Approved Screening Device
The unenviable task of policing Continue Reading »
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia recently announced significant changes to how it calculates its insurance premiums. You can read a blog about it here but in a nutshell, the amendments, which could be implemented as early as this fall, include increasing Driver Risk Premiums and Driver Penalty Point Premiums by 40 percent over the next
ICBC ‘Fairness’ Survey wasn’t fair Continue Reading »
Last week, an opinion piece in The Globe and Mail highlighted a worrying issue that threatens to undermine every Canadian’s freedom of expression. In the article, professor David Pritchard and assistant professor Lisa Taylor argue a little-known law known as defamatory libel is being used to treat libel as a criminal offence. Defamation is traditionally
We talk a lot about driving prohibitions for traffic tickets or for drunk driving here in BC. But there’s another area not often discussed by BC’s driving community, and that’s a driving prohibition due to being medically unfit to drive. Generally, this means that RoadSafetyBC has determined that due to a driver’s health condition, they
When are you considered medically unfit to drive? Continue Reading »
This week, several MPs tweeted about their participation in roundtable discussions with Jody Wilson-Raybould and other “stakeholders” in criminal justice reform. But best we can tell defence counsel were not invited to have a seat at any of those roundtables. Despite the fact that we come up with sensible and workable solutions to plenty of
Bad laws written by bad governments Continue Reading »
