Articles 2020

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Today
photo of Neha Chugh

Neha Chugh: Addressing Bias Against Trans Communities One Juror at a Time!

  • June 19, 2023
  • Tamara J. Sylvester (they/them)

Recently, the Supreme Court's obiter comments in Chouhan were put to the test. The Ontario Superior Court in R v K.P. granted an application to challenge prospective jurors for cause on the ground that they may be biased against transgender individuals in the community of Cornwall. The lawyer behind the compelling application was Ontario’s very own Neha Chugh. Chugh, who practises criminal, family and child protection law in Eastern Ontario, is no stranger to the spotlight or commendation.

Criminal Justice, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum

Non-criminal Activity in Criminal Background Checks: Khorsand v. Toronto Police Services Board et a., 2023 ONSC 1270

  • June 15, 2023
  • Nancy Bediako

Mr. Khorsand applied for judicial review of the Toronto Police Service Board’s background check after multiple failures as he sought employment as a Special Constable with the Toronto Community Housing Corporation. The Board refused to give Mr. Khorsand the reasons for the failed checks even though he has no prior criminal convictions or charges. After accessing police records that confirmed this, he challenged the Board’s decision by seeking Judicial Review of the Divisional Court.

Administrative Law, Criminal Justice, Student Forum
Cover image of book: Just Pursuit

Legal Reads: A book review of "Just Pursuit"

  • March 27, 2023
  • Matilda Lici

“The pursuit of justice creates injustice.” Thus opens the memoir of Laura Coates, a Black former federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice during the Bush and Obama years. Through a series of vignettes, she peels back the curtain to expose the inner workings of the criminal justice system, and lays bare the ways in which a system ostensibly set up to secure justice often fails those who become wrapped up in it.

Criminal Justice, Women Lawyers Forum, Student Forum

A Lawyer’s Reflections on COVID-19

  • June 10, 2022
  • Neha Chugh

Criminal defence lawyer Neha Chugh reflects on working from home during COVID-19, separating work and home life, and returning to court.

Criminal Justice, Student Forum

Restorative Justice: An Alternative Path in Sexual Assault Cases?

  • January 10, 2022
  • Jeff Carolin

Jeff Carolin, a criminal defence lawyer with a restorative-justice-informed practice, recounts his experience representing a sexual assault complainant in a restorative justice process in Toronto, the first of its kind. Jeff explains how this process unfolded, potential safeguards for defendants who wish to participate, and the roles each actor has to play throughout the process.

Criminal Justice, Student Forum

OBA Program Summary: “Critical Issues in Race and Policing”, Part 2

  • October 02, 2020
  • Saba Ahmad

On the evening of September 30, 2020, over 120 lawyers and other professionals attended virtually to hear from Roger Love and Faisal Mirza on “Civil, Charter, and Human Rights Challenges,” part 2 of the Race and Policing Series, co-hosted by the Criminal Justice and Constitutional Civil Liberties and Human Rights (“CCLHR”) sections of the Ontario Bar Association (“OBA”). This article provides a brief summary of the program.

Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law, Criminal Justice, Student Forum
Brock Jones

Q&A with Brock Jones, OBA Award of Excellence in Criminal Justice Recipient

  • May 14, 2020

Brock Jones, Counsel, Chief Justice of Ontario (OCJ), is being honoured this year with the OBA Award of Excellence in Criminal Justice for his outstanding leadership and contribution to the advancement of criminal law. Gain a glimpse of what motivates him and how he is making a difference in his area of practice in this candid Q&A.

Criminal Justice, Student Forum