Summary of Meetings: Criminal Justice - Vancouver
Number of Meetings Held: 7
October 15, 2025
Registration Count: 42
Guest Speakers: Judge Michael Fortino, Jenny Dyck, and Vicki Williams
Meeting Title/Topic: The Ethics of Civility
Synopsis: Civility amongst the Bar is a cornerstone of practicing criminal law. Upholding the ethics of a respectful and professional criminal Bar is essential to the effective functioning of a criminal law practice, whether as Crown counsel or defence counsel. Judge Michael Fortino, Jenny Dyck, and Vicki Williams discuss our joint responsibility to act ethically and civilly at all times.
November 19, 2025
Registration Count: 50
Guest Speakers: Kristine All, Corrine Proctor, and Karlan Modeste
Meeting Title/Topic: The Intersection of Criminal Law and Family Law
Synopsis: When an accused person faces criminal charges or an investigation, it can often trigger the corresponding involvement of the Ministry of Children and Family Development to ensure that the well being of any children is addressed. The balance between protecting the children, controlling access, providing support to the families, and protecting an accused’s Charter rights is challenging and complicated. Kristine All, Corrine Proctor, and Karlan Modeste discuss the competing concerns, procedures, and issues that arise in these difficult situations.
January 28, 2026
Registration Count: In-Person: 5 Remote: 23
Guest Speakers: The Honourable James Bahen, KC, Chris Johnson, KC, Michaela Donnelly KC, and Gerri-Lyn Nelson
Meeting Title/Topic: Mental Health and the Criminal Law - A Primer on Fitness, NCRMD and the BC Review Board
Synopsis: The Honourable James Bahen, KC, Chris Johnson, KC, Michaela Donnelly KC, and Gerri-Lyn Nelson discuss fitness, post R. v. Bharwani, 2025 SCC 26, how to prepare for a NCRMD defence, and the interplay with the BC Review Board once the Court has declared an accused unfit or NCRMD. This session gives you the tools to effectively navigate this complicated area of the law.
February 25, 2026
Registration Count: 33
Guest Speakers: Jovan Narwal, KC, Nick Reithmeier, and Kristina Guest
Meeting Title/Topic: Detention, Retention, Forfeiture and Return of Property Seized
Synopsis: The ability of the state to seize property belonging to an individual is far reaching and requires proper judicial oversight to ensure that the individual’s Charter rights are respected. As has been seen from cases like Craig, Gill, and Teixeira, an individual’s Charter protected rights go beyond the mere seizure of the item. The retention and return process calls upon the courts to strike a balance between the ability of the state to investigate crimes and pursue forfeiture applications against the privacy rights of the individual, very often in the pre-charge investigative stage. The relationship between an individual’s seized property and the state can often be further complicated due to the interplay with provincial civil forfeiture laws.
Jovan Narwal, KC, Nick Reithmeier, and Kristina Guest discuss the competing concerns, procedures, and issues which arise in both the Criminal Code s. 490 process and the Civil Forfeiture context.
March 11, 2026
Registration Count: 25
Guest Speakers: Prof. Benjamin Perrin
Meeting Title/Topic: Policing and AI: Benefits, Risks and Legal Issues
Synopsis: How are police across North America using AI? What evidence is there of the benefits and risks of these new technologies? What legal issues do they present in criminal investigations and prosecutions? What laws and policies are in place to govern police uses of AI in Canada? Prof. Benjamin Perrin shares the results from a recently completed research study examining these questions, with implications for defence lawyers, Crown prosecutors and judges.
April 15, 2026
Registration Count: 20
Guest Speakers: Cathryn Moore and Roy Ho
Meeting Title/Topic: Collateral Consequences for Driving Offenses
Synopsis: Cathryn Moore and Roy Ho present on the collateral consequences of driving offenses, including insurance consequences and hidden consequences in the Motor Vehicle Act and Motor Vehicle Act regulations.
May 20, 2026
Registration Count: 20
Guest Speakers: Professor Allan C. Hutchinson
Meeting Title/Topic: A Primer on the Notwithstanding Clause's Origins and History
Synopsis: Professor Allan C. Hutchinson provides an overview on Section 33, the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 33 is the subject of recent debate, and it is expected to impact every lawyer's practice in the future. This session ensures criminal lawyers are prepared to work within that framework and have a base understanding moving forward, preparing you for a follow up session with advocates who will argue for and against the Notwithstanding Clause in criminal proceedings.