Convicted impaired drivers now face stricter penalties, and police officers now have enhanced powers to determine whether drivers are impaired by alcohol or other drugs.
Source: This is what you need to know about Canada’s new drunk driving laws
NEW DRINKING AND DRIVING LAWS — BREATH TESTS – Today a police officer has to have a “reasonable suspicion” that a driver has any alcohol whatsoever in his/her body before they can demand a breath sample. Come tomorrow morning they can pull over a driver and demand a breath sample for no reason whatsoever -“no suspicion of nothing” – because they feel like it. Refusal to comply is a criminal offence.
CYBERFLASHING – Did you know this is becoming a problem?
The “underground” phenomenon cannot be ignored, expert says.
Source: Canada’s Laws Can’t Handle ‘Cyberflashing,’ AKA Sexual Harassment
VICTIM FINE SURCHARGE – Finally! The much hated and unfair Harper victim fine surcharge has been struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada.
NO CANNABIS SUPPLY = NO STORES – This is what happens when the government controls the market: Ontario government changes rules for pot shops, only 25 stores to open April 1
Licenses for those 25 stores will be handed out using a lottery system.
Source: EXCLUSIVE: Ontario government changes rules for pot shops, only 25 stores to open April 1
YORK REGIONAL POLICE TO POST NAMES OF THOSE CHARGED WITH IMPAIRED-RELATED CRIMINAL DRIVING OFFENCES – What do you think of this?
YORK REGIONAL POLICE TO POST NAMES OF THOSE CHARGED WITH IMPAIRED-RELATED CRIMINAL DRIVING OFFENCES AFTER 27 CHARGES LAID THIS WEEKEND
IMPAIRED DRIVING AND IMMIGRATION – In adapting to the legalization of marijuana, Parliament has increased the maximum sentence of driving impaired by alcohol or a drug from 5 years to 10 years, making it an offence of “serious criminality”. To anyone who is a permanent or temporary resident, a conviction means deportation and no right of appeal.
Getting an impaired driving conviction is a big deal for anyone — but for permanent and temporary residents of Canada, changes to the Criminal Code mean a DUI could lead to deportation.
JUROR INVESTIGATION – We dealt with this here, a few years ago. Police cannot use their resources to check out potential jurors beyond whether they have a criminal record, at least not without sharing the information with the defence, nor can the Crown use LinkedIn for the same purpose.
Second case of improper vetting in a week could be ‘tip of an iceberg’, lawyer says
Source: Jury dismissed after Crown looks up jurors on LinkedIn
MOLDY WEED FROM OCS – They’re going to have to do a whole lot better if the Province wants to compete with the private market.
ARE YOU GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IF YOU DON’T TELL YOUR PARTNER THAT YOU HAVE HIV? – “There is a negligible risk of sexually transmitting HIV when an HIV-positive sex partner adheres to antiretroviral therapy and maintains a suppressed viral load of less than 200 copies/mL on consecutive measurements every four to six months. Based on our findings, relevant case law and other factors, the Department of Justice Canada concluded that the criminal law should not apply to people living with HIV who maintain a suppressed viral load of less than 200 copies/mL.” Justice Canada also concluded that the criminal law should generally not apply to those who use condoms, among others.” This is consistent with the Supreme Court decision.
There is a negligible risk of transmitting HIV during sex when a person living with HIV is on antiretroviral therapy and maintains a viral load under a specific threshold, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Source: Negligible risk of transmitting HIV during sex when viral load is suppressed