The Docket

So, episode 141 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. Buckle up for a extra long episode dissecting the acquittal of of Umar Zameer in the death of Toronto police officer Jeffrey Northrup. We take a deep dive into the bail decision, the completely offside comments by politicians, and why the Crown proceeded with a case that was doomed to fail. Remember, you can hang with some law nerds in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and (sometimes) listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm AGP LLP who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes or you favourite podcast app to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 139 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. We are joined by the amazing professor Daphnie Gilbert, who specializes in teaching criminal and constitutional law, to talk about the announcement that the government is delaying (again) the full implementation of Medical Assistance in Dying. Daphnie's research interests lie primarily in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with a particular emphasis on equality rights, reproductive rights, medical assistance in dying (MAiD), sexual violence, and safe sport/abuse in sport. She is the Vice-Chair of Dying with Dignity and the perfect person to cut through the politics of this very important issue. But we start with a rant about Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre's disingenuous spin on car thefts and Danielle Smith's attack on trans youth. Emilie also give an update on the Convoy litigation. Rants all around! Remember, you can hang with some law nerds in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and (sometimes) listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm AGP LLP who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes or you favourite podcast app to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 137– a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. This episode we sit down with journalist Rachel Gilmore. Some call her a lightning rod for the far right, but more accurately she is a great communicator who delivers excellent short-form news reports that expose misinformation and extremists across all the social media platforms (but not Facebook, sorry olds). Because of her journalism Rachel has been on the receiving end of some scary shit - online harassment, stalking, and death threats. And she has spoken out about that too. Why don't we do a better job or protecting journalists (and basically all non-white men) from hateful and scary harassment? Is it a problem with the laws (no) or a problem of police priorities (definitely yes)? This episode we break it all down with Rachel Gilmore You can find Rachel all over the social medias, check out her Linktree. Remember, you can hang with some law nerds in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and (sometimes) listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm AGP LLP who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes or you favourite podcast app to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 135 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. We are back! Time to shake the dust of of the microphone and say some words! After a brief catch up we offer some free advice to new law students and then take a look at some interesting cases on the Supreme Court of Canada's fall... err.. docket. Remember, you can hang with some law nerds in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and (sometimes) listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm AGP LLP who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes or you favourite podcast app to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 133 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. After almost a month of inflicting harm and havoc in Ottawa, the extremist trucker protest is over. But the lawless takeover of Canada’s capital city and the dramatic police action required to restore peace were troubling tests of our democracy. The occupiers inflicted prolonged and unrelenting harm on an entire city. It seemed to take the federal government invoking the Emergencies Act to end the siege. Make no mistake, resort to the Emergencies Act is an admission of failure. A failure by the police to maintain public peace, a failure by the city and province to take the threat to our democracy and safety seriously, and a failure of federal leaders to engage in an honest discussion about the fundamental inequities in our society. But the occupation is over, and now the court cases begin. This episode we break down Canada's bail system and take a closer look at why the leaders of the occupation, Pat King and Tamara Lich, were denied bail and remain behind bars. You can read Pat Kings bail decision here Please visit www.ottawafund.ca to learn more about the class action lawsuit against the truckers and how you can help! You can read Michael's take on the troubling reaction to the occupation by some in the law community here: Did Canada become a police state after the protest in Ottawa? Hardly Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes or you favourite podcast app to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 131 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. After a holiday hiatus the Docket returns to discuss the racist and extremist "trucker" protest in Ottawa and a bizarre and troubling story about an Ottawa Crown Attorney who was on the same soccer team as a key juror in a murder trial he was prosecuting. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Subscribe to The Docket on iTunes to get the latest episode pumped straight into your earbuds. If you like the show your subscriptions, comments and ratings really help us (so do that and then do it on your friends computer too). Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 129 – a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast – right? You should. Is the federal government really fighting Indigenous kids in court? Yes, they are. And they keep losing. We chat with the amazing Anne Levesque about her work with Cindy Blackstock and the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, who are fighting against the government's discriminatory underfunding of services for Indigenous kids. This is a fight that has been ongoing for over a decade. Each time the Caring Society wins, the government uses every procedural trick and avenue of appeal to avoid its responsibilities. Most recently, the Caring Society won big in the Federal Court, where the government's application for a judicial review of a landmark Human Rights Tribunal compensation order for First Nations children was dismissed. This is such an important case and the amazing advocates fighting for equality are heroes. You can help support the fight and donate to the Caring Society here: https://fncaringsociety.com/donate A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 15% off Modern Criminal Evidence for our listeners. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code DOCKET15 at checkout. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work! Emilie Taman on Twitter: @EmilieTaman Michael Spratt on Twitter: @mspratt If you like show spread the word. Enjoy

So, episode 127 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A bit of a diversion this episode. We chat with the great Toronto Bluejays pundit and prognosticator Andrew Stoeten about baseball, the Blue Jays, MLB collective bargaining, and the election. OK, ok, it was mostly about the Jays but we did manage to shoehorn some legal adjacent content into the chat. Check out Stoeten’s great new venture The Batflip, where you can read his words and find his great weekly podcast. And since we don’t ask for money, if you like what he does make sure you show him some support. To WIN 1 of 3 Beverley McLachlin prize packs including: 1 signed copy of Denial & 1 copy of Full Disclosure, enter before 12pm EST on September 17. To be eligible you must be a Canadian resident, follow @simonschusterca and leave a review of The Docket Podcast on your podcast platform of choice. Send us DM at @mspratt once you’ve completed these steps! And huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!

So, episode 125 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. New documents reveal that an important federal justice reform, billed as a silver bullet reduce court backlogs and decrease racial inequities, has only been used FOUR times by the Ottawa Police. In 2018 the Liberal government introduced bill C-75 which contained a provision designed to divert bail breaches away from the criminal system. The government said that judicial referral hearings would “substantially increase court efficiencies” and address the “overrepresentation of marginalized communities within the criminal justice system.” Last week Ottawa police told the Police Services Board that over that last two years they have used the new procedure FOUR times. It turns out that giving new discretionary powers to people who are part of the problem does not really do very much. Especially when they never use the new power. And anecdotal evidence suggest this is not just an Ottawa problem. So, what is the government going to do now that they know their solution to a very serious problem is not working? Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!

So, episode 123 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. This episode we do the impossible - break down the 700+ page federal budget in under 40 minutes!! Kidding. In reality, we take a victory lap on the announcement of funding for a law reform commission and then taken a quick look at a couple of questionable justice line items in the government $100 billion budget. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!

So, episode 121 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. I have never been so mad. So mad that I might have forgot to turn on the mic, so apologies if the recording quality is a bit meh. Why so mad? An Ontario woman, who was the victim of a sexual assault, was arrested and prosecuted for violating a court order publication ban designed to protect her. Her crime? She emailed a copy of the court decision to a few friends and family members. Now she is a victim with a criminal record. In March, as first reported by Gordon Paul of the Waterloo Region Record and then later amplified by the Toronto Star, the woman pleaded guilty to violating a court order and was ordered by a judge to pay a fine of $2,000 plus an additional $600 victim surcharge. It is inexcusable that the woman’s lawyer plead her guilty and agreed to the imposition for a criminal record. It is disgusting that the Crown prosecuted her and asked for the imposition of a record. It is shocking that the police actually arrested her. It is all so so so bad. This is what made us so mad. So buckle up, this is going to be a bumpy ride…. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!

So, episode 119 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. This episode, we are joined by good friend of the podcast™️ Peter Sankoff AND best friend of the podcast Penny Sankoff to talk about their new father-daughter pod Translating Criminal Law: Rated G. What do you get when a law professor and his 11 year old daughter explore what the criminal law actually does? A great podcast. Stick around to listed to their third episode where Peter and Penny discuss the presumption of innocence and Penny tells Peter about how to run a fan page. Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!

So, episode 117 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you subscribe to the show and have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should. We are trying a new format over here at the Taman/Spratt studios - a shorter podcast in your feed every two weeks - like clockwork! So on to the show… Well, there is a new justice bill. Justice minister David Lametti says that the government recognizes that there is systemic racism in Canada’s criminal justice system and that the new legislation would ensure courts can “continue to impose tough sentences on violent and serious crimes without the disproportionate impact on Indigenous peoples, as well as Black Canadians and members of marginalized communities.” But does the new bill really do all that? We grade all the parts of the new bill. A, B, C, D, or F. Lately, if you want make a a tax-deductible contribution to the Joseph Arvay Legacy Fund visit: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/joseph-arvay-legacy-fund Remember, you can self-isolate in The Docket’s Discord chatroom. Join the Discord channel, take part in the ongoing chat, and listen to live recordings with this link: https://discord.gg/2TzUamZ A huge thanks to Emond Publishing for supporting the podcast. For our listeners, Emond is offering 10% off titles in the series. Just visit emond.ca/docket and enter code docket10 at checkout. And as always, a huge thanks to my firm Abergel Goldstein & Partners who have not murdered me for editing the podcast at work!