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“Canada used to be admired internationally for its approach to corrections, particularly its treatment of young offenders and its progressive rehabilitative programs. Today, Canada is moving in the other direction — establishing mandatory minimum sentences, incarcerating more offenders, making it harder for them to obtain parole and ensuring that the conditions of their incarceration are harsher.”Former Toronto police chief Bill Blair says ” Prison should be reserved for “truly dangerous” individuals.”

Myth 1: Tough-on-crime policy is about promoting public safety.

Myth 2: Tough-on-crime policy is about helping victims.

Myth 3: Tough-on-crime policy is good use of taxpayer dollars.

Myth 4: Heavier enforcement controls crime rates.

Myth 5: People who break the law deserve long, punitive sentences.

Conservatives swear their crime policies have made Canadians safer. On the contrary: it’s the one area we can safely say Canadians are less safe and paying too much for the privilege.

Source: Five myths about the tough-on-crime agenda | rabble.ca

They’ve been around for a long time but people still get fooled by the prospect of easy money. I had a client who was scammed and charged with fraud. I was able to convince the Crown to withdraw the charge as he was really the victim and was able to show through LawPro statistics that many lawyers have been duped by the same scam. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

At the end of the day, you need to be smart. Not every scammer follows the same Nigerian prince formula. Lawyers are specific targets for scammers. Always do your due diligence to avoid being scammed.

Source: Even Smart Attorneys Fall for These Dumb Scams

Did you know? If you, your son or daughter, perhaps while attending college or university grows 6 marijuana plants in their closet or balcony and intends to smoke it with a room mate or friend, he or she will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 6 months in jail. No ifs, ands or buts. No more university. A criminal record for life. No future pardon. Nothing you can do about it. Nothing a Judge can do about it. No mercy. This is justice in Canada.

 “The government losses are actually a result of the passing of more legislation that falls outside of the mainstream of opinion in the justice system of what is acceptable. The government has been pushing the boundaries not the court.” “For violent crimes, the court is more law-and-order and responsibility driven. For what I will call “social crimes — for example — prostitution or doctor-assisted suicide, the court is far more progressive,”

Source: Tough on crime

FENTANYL – Little known to the public, abuse of Fentanyl, a powerful opiod prescription painkiller 40 times stronger than heroin is accounting for a mounting death toll in Ontario. It has become the drug of choice since the de-listing of Oxycontin in 2012. The problem is dosing. It comes in time release patches that are typically cut up in sections to obtain the content however the amount of the drug in each section varies and is unknown, resulting in overdoses which shuts down breathing and death. Jail sentences for possession of Fentanyl are severe and equivalent to those imposed for heroin possession.

The small ‘Chemical Valley’ city has a Fentanyl death rate that is four times the provincial average.

Source: Sarnia, Ontario Attempting to Patch Up its Deadly Fentanyl Problem | VICE | Canada

OUR RATE OF CRIME IS FALLING FAST – Whether it’s a result of our increasing use of technology or not, the truth is that crime rates continued their decades-long decline. “The overall crime drop has been described as the most important criminological phenomenon of modern times.” Yet, as the U.S. is making bold moves to decrease their high rate of incarceration here in Canada our laws are deliberately moving in the opposite direction to incarcerate more of us for longer periods of time. It’s insane.

How social media obsession, smartphone addiction, and even violent video games are, surprisingly, making us safer

Source: The real reason crime is falling so fast – Macleans.ca

It looks like a good therapeutic alternative to domestic assault. Smash away to your heart’s content.

Source: Now you can smash things in Toronto’s first rage room

Lawyers who do not exhibit these qualities will not be long for the profession, according to columnist Gaston Kroub.

Source: Beyond Biglaw: 3 Admirable Lawyerly Traits | Above the Law

BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE – Did you know? Impaired (or over 80) boat or vessel operation carries the same penalties as if you were operating a car or truck? If you are convicted of impaired boating you will lose your motor vehicle license and will be prohibited from driving a motor vehicle anywhere in Canada for at least the mandatory minimum period of 1 year. The OPP are on the waters. Boat safely this summer.

Source: The Canadian Safe Boating Council and MADD Canada Team Up to Reduce Impaired Boating Deaths This Weekend – Press Release – Digital Journal

“Speaking in code is an easy trap to fall into. It is the language lawyers use daily with their peers, so to talk in legal terms with a client seems totally natural. This can create two problems. First of all, when clients don’t understand what is going on, they aren’t in a position to make informed decisions. The second problem is emotional: When someone speaks ‘above’ a customer’s understanding, it makes the client feel inferior.”

“We’re [McLeish , Orlando LLP] in the process of retaining an ad agency for some of our marketing,” says Dale Orlando. “And it’s really frustrating when they use acronyms we don’t understand. You don’t want to ask because it seems like everybody else

Source: Communications breakdown: When a lawyer uses jargon – Slaw