Department of Justice Canada Reopens the Survey of Criminal Justice System Stakeholders: Efficiencies, Legislative Amendments, and the Ongoing Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

by | Jun 23, 2025 | Criminal Law, Justice Canada, Uncategorised

(Le français suit l’anglais)

The Department of Justice Canada is reopening the Survey of Criminal Justice System Stakeholders: Efficiencies, Legislative Amendments, and the Ongoing Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This survey examines stakeholders’ perceptions of criminal justice system (CJS) efficiencies, explores the impacts of recent legislative changes related to criminal court efficiencies, remote court attendance, and bail, as well as looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CJS.

The Department of Justice Canada wants to hear about your perceptions of the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system (CJS), in your role as a CJS professional. Former Bill C-75 (earliest amendments came into force July 22, 2019) made changes related to remote court appearances, bail, sentencing and administration of justice offences, among other sections of the Criminal Code and Youth Criminal Justice Act with a view to improving efficiencies; while the COVID-19 pandemic affected how courts operated. Bill S-4 (came into force on January 15, 2023), made further changes to the Criminal Code to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on criminal courts while increasing the flexibility and efficiency of the CJS, including by enhancing and clarifying rules for remote criminal proceedings. Since then, a number of additional relevant amendments to Criminal Code procedures have been made, namely under Bill C-48, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (bail reform) which came into force on January 5, 2024.

The survey was first launched in February 2025 and closed in late March due to the election period. To ensure that all interested stakeholders have an opportunity to provide feedback, the survey will be reopened until July 11, 2025.

We thank all those who have already taken the time to complete the survey. In order to receive as many additional responses as possible, we would greatly appreciate your assistance in sending an email to inform your members/networks that the survey has been reopened and to encourage those who did not have an opportunity previously, to participate. As a reminder, the survey seeks the views of stakeholders with experience in the criminal justice system, including Crown and defence lawyers, the judiciary, police officers, court administrators and other court workers.

The survey link can be found here: https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=6d649078-c15d-415d-bd8a-c85e17216486

Le ministère de la Justice du Canada ouvre à nouveau le Sondage auprès des intervenants du système de justice pénale : gains d’efficience, modifications législatives et répercussions continues de la pandémie de COVID-19. Ce sondage examine les perceptions des intervenants à l’égard de l’efficience du système de justice pénale (SJP), explore les répercussions des récentes modifications législatives liées à l’efficacité des tribunaux de juridiction criminelle, à la comparution à distance et à la mise en liberté sous caution, ainsi que l’incidence de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur le SJP.

Le ministère de la Justice du Canada veut connaître votre point de vue, en tant que professionnel du système de justice pénale (SJP), sur l’efficience et l’efficacité du SJP. L’ancien projet de loi C‑75 (les premières modifications sont entrées en vigueur le 22 juillet 2019) a entre autres apporté des modifications à des articles du Code criminel et de la Loi sur le système de justice pénale pour les adolescents concernant les comparutions à distance, la mise en liberté sous caution, la détermination de la peine et les infractions contre l’administration de la justice dans l’objectif de réaliser des gains d’efficacité; parallèlement, la pandémie de COVID-19 a eu une incidence sur le fonctionnement des tribunaux. Le projet de loi S-4 (entré en vigueur le 15 janvier 2023) a apporté d’autres modifications au Code criminel afin de remédier aux répercussions de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur les tribunaux de juridiction pénale tout en améliorant la souplesse et l’efficacité du SJP, y compris par l’amélioration et la clarification des règles relatives aux procédures pénales tenues à distance. Depuis, un certain nombre d’autres modifications pertinentes ont été apportées aux procédures du Code criminel, notamment en vertu du projet de loi C-48, Loi modifiant le Code criminel (réforme sur la mise en liberté sous caution), lequel est entré en vigueur le 5 janvier 2024.

L’enquête a été lancée pour la première fois en février 2025 et s’est terminée fin mars en raison de la période électorale. Pour s’assurer que tous les intervenants intéressés ont l’occasion de donner leur avis, le sondage sera rouvert jusqu’à 11 juillet 2025.

Nous remercions tous ceux qui ont déjà pris le temps de répondre au sondage. Afin de recevoir le plus grand nombre possible de réponses supplémentaires, nous vous serions très reconnaissants de partager à nouveau ce courriel pour informer vos membres et réseaux que le sondage a été rouvert et pour encourager ceux qui n’ont pas eu l’occasion d’y participer auparavant. À titre de rappel, le sondage vise à recueillir les points de vue d’intervenants ayant de l’expérience dans le système de justice pénale, notamment des avocats de la Couronne et de la défense, des juges, des policiers, des administrateurs de tribunaux et d’autres travailleurs judiciaires.

Le lien vers l’enquête se trouve ici : https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=6d649078-c15d-415d-bd8a-c85e17216486

Launch of the Justice Canada Survey of Criminal Justice System Stakeholders / Lancement du Sondage auprès des intervenants du système de justice pénale de Justice Canada

by | Feb 21, 2025 | Access to Justice, Criminal Law, Justice Canada

(le français suit l’anglais)

The Department of Justice Canada (Justice Canada) has launched the Survey of Criminal Justice System Stakeholders: Efficiencies, Legislative Amendments, and the Ongoing Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic. You are strongly encouraged to share your views and experiences to better inform the development of criminal justice system laws and policy in Canada.

About the survey:
This survey examines stakeholders’ perceptions of criminal justice system (CJS) efficiencies in general as well as explore the potential impacts of recent legislation concerning criminal court efficiencies, remote court attendance, and bail, and the COVID-19 pandemic on the CJS. The survey includes, among others, questions about remote court appearances, bail, administration of justice offences, judicial referral hearings, preliminary inquiries, and overall impacts on Indigenous and racialized people and other vulnerable populations.

Who can participate:
Justice Canada is looking to hear the perspectives of criminal justice system professionals who have experience within Canada’s criminal court system within the last six months. This includes the judiciary, defence counsel, crown prosecutors, police/peace officers, court administrators, and more. Please note that the survey only seeks individual-level responses. Organizational responses are not eligible to be included.

Why you should consider participating:
Participation in this survey will provide evidence to inform future policy development on the efficient and effective operation of the CJS by understanding the perceived implications of the amendments and the pandemic on CJS functioning, and identifying areas where CJS professionals feel additional amendments are required.

How to participate in the survey:
The survey will be open to participants until March 21, 2025.

The survey will take between 15 and 35 minutes to complete. You will be able to limit which sections you are asked to answer based on your experiences. If needed, you can save your answers and come back to it later.

The Department of Justice is subject to the Privacy Act and is committed to your privacy and the protection of your personal information. Your participation is voluntary and appreciated. Your responses will remain confidential.

Please click on the link below to access the survey (or copy and paste the link into your internet browser).
Survey link: https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=6d649078-c15d-415d-bd8a-c85e17216486

Justice Canada thanks you in advance for your valuable contribution. Should you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Lysiane Paquin-Marseille.

—

Le ministère de la Justice du Canada (Justice Canada) a lancé le Sondage auprès des intervenants du système de justice pénale : efficiences, modifications législatives et répercussions continues de la pandémie de COVID-19. Nous vous encourageons fortement à partager vos points de vue et vos expériences afin de mieux éclairer l’élaboration des lois et des politiques du système de justice pénale au Canada.

À propos du sondage :
Ce sondage examine les perceptions des intervenants à l’égard de l’efficience du système de justice pénale (SJP) en général, ainsi que les répercussions potentielles des récentes lois concernant l’efficience des tribunaux de juridiction pénale, la comparution à distance et la mise en liberté sous caution, ainsi que la pandémie de COVID-19 sur le SJP. Le sondage comprend des questions concernant, entre autres, les comparutions devant les tribunaux à distance, la mise en liberté sous caution, les infractions contre l’administration de la justice, les comparutions pour manquement, les enquêtes préliminaires et les répercussions globales sur les Autochtones et les personnes racialisées et les autres populations vulnérables.

Qui peut participer :
Le ministère de la Justice du Canada souhaite connaître le point de vue des professionnels du système de justice pénale qui ont acquis de l’expérience au sein du système judiciaire pénal du Canada au cours des six derniers mois. Cela comprend les juges, les avocats de la défense, les procureurs de la Couronne, les policiers et les agents de la paix, les administrateurs de tribunaux, etc. Veuillez noter que le sondage vise uniquement à obtenir des réponses individuelles. Les réponses organisationnelles ne sont pas admissibles.

Pourquoi devriez-vous envisager de participer :
La participation à ce sondage fournira des données probantes pour éclairer l’élaboration future de politiques sur le fonctionnement efficient et efficace du SJP en comprenant les répercussions perçues des modifications et de la pandémie sur le fonctionnement du SJP et en cernant les domaines où les professionnels du SJP estiment que des modifications supplémentaires sont nécessaires.

Comment participer au sondage :
Le sondage sera ouvert aux participants jusqu’au 21 mars 2025.

Il vous faudra entre 15 et 35 minutes pour répondre au sondage. Vous pourrez limiter les sections auxquelles on vous demande de répondre en fonction de vos expériences. Si nécessaire, vous pouvez enregistrer vos réponses et y revenir plus tard.

Le ministère de la Justice est assujetti à la Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels et s’engage à protéger votre vie privée et vos renseignements personnels. Votre participation est volontaire et appréciée. Vos réponses resteront confidentielles.

Veuillez cliquer sur le lien ci-dessous pour accéder au sondage (ou copiez et collez le lien dans votre navigateur Internet).
Lien vers le sondage : https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=6d649078-c15d-415d-bd8a-c85e17216486

Le ministère de la Justice du Canada vous remercie à l’avance de votre précieuse contribution. Si vous avez des questions ou si vous souhaitez obtenir de plus amples informations, n’hésitez pas à communiquer avec Lysiane Paquin-Marseille.

Rangefindr: Pre-Sentence Custody Credit Guide

by | Feb 12, 2024 | Criminal Law, Sentencing

Recent news reports from Ontario have highlighted the complicated practice of calculating credit for pre-sentence custody. Rangefindr has been a helpful resource for our members to suggest sentencing ranges and now Rangefindr has created a new guide to further assist calculating these sentences.

The rangefindr.ca “Guide to Credit for Pre-sentence Custody and Release” is now available behind the member portal.

Other free guides and tools are available at https://www.rangefindr.ca/eng/docs and https://mms.watch.

New ‘Criminal Law Series’ Online Platform

by | Jun 22, 2023 | Criminal Law, e-Books, Legal Research

Our collection of Emond’s Criminal Law Series has moved to it’s new home on the digital VitalSource platform. These eBooks are still available through the Library Resources section of the Member’s Portal, but they have been improved with a new reader interface.

Simply log in to the portal and, in the library resources section, click on the Criminal Law Series image to get started.

When accessing the new platform, users may be greeted with a log in screen. Simply choose “Continue without an account” to gain access to the collection

Navigate over to the “Explore” tab to see the entire Emond’s Criminal Law Series. Click on a title and the “Open book” option to start reading. A helpful pop-up will appear to explain the icons and features available when reading.

Members can also register their own account to save bookmarks, annotations, and preferences, or download the app on desktop or mobile for offline reading.

Blog Round-Up September/October 2022

by | Nov 2, 2022 | Blogs, Criminal Law, Employment and Labour Law, Intellectual Property Law

Collected blog posts from the Manitoba legal community during September and October 2022.

Brodsky Amy & Gould

Fillmore Riley

Matthew Gould Blog (Criminal Law)

MLT Aikins

Robson Crim Legal Blog

TDS law

New Books and Journals Update

by | Oct 31, 2022 | Criminal Law, e-Books, Indigenous Law, Journals, New Books

This month’s new additions include updated editions to some of our digital books, as well as new journal issues and articles.

These titles are available in our online library resources section for Law Society Member’s
vLex has updated their Irwin Law collection with two updated titles.

Criminal Law 8th ed. by Kent Roach

“The eighth edition of Criminal Law has been thoroughly updated to include new developments. It includes a detailed discussion of R v Brown striking down restrictions on the extreme intoxication defence and the likely parliamentary reply, and Parliament’s reply in Bill C-28. It also examines changes in jury selection upheld in R v Chouhan; important decisions on fault, such as R v Zora, R v Javanmardi, R v Chung, and R v Goforth; and assesses R v Cowan on parties. The discussion of sexual assault has been updated to take into account R v Barton and the possible implications of R v Morrison. The Supreme Court’s first decision under the amended self-defence provisions in R v Khill is reviewed. This new edition also has been revised to include important decisions from the Ontario and Nova Scotia Courts of Appeal on sentencing Black offenders, as well as the Supreme Court’s striking down of mandatory minimum fine surcharges and stacking of twenty-five-year periods of parole ineligibility.” -publisher

International Law, Doctrine, Practice, and Theory 3rd ed. By Craig Forcese

“The book includes introductory materials on the nature, history, and theory of international law from an international relations, as well as a legal, perspective. Carefully selected and edited primary materials — including treaties, UN documents, and cases — take readers to the very sources of the rules and principles that comprise modern international law. Extensive and critical commentary on, and analysis of, these primary materials guide the reader to an understanding of the rules, their strengths and weaknesses, and their place in the international legal system. Descriptions of contemporary real-world situations provide concrete context to the discussion.

Remarkable for both its depth and breadth, International Law: Doctrine, Practice, and Theory sets the standard for the study of international law in Canada. It also constitutes an invaluable reference collection for practitioners, judges, and scholars working in this ever-increasingly important area of modern law.” – publisher

Emond’s Criminal Law Series has also been updated with a new edition.

Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System, 2nd ed. by Jonathan Rudin

“The second edition contains a new chapter devoted to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the experiences of FASD-affected individuals in the Canadian Criminal Justice system. It also includes a practical review of the 2019 Final Reports by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec: listening, reconciliation and progress. This bestseller also features expanded coverage of overrepresentation, sentencing, plea bargains, Gladue principles, and Charter challenges.” – publisher

Journals

New articles from the following journals are now available for Law Society members upon request. For a pdf copy of these or other legal journal articles email us at library@lawsociety.mb.ca. Click on the journal title to see full article titles.

Canadian Criminal Law Review vol. 26

  • “Scraping in Cyberspace: Police Entrapment in the Virtual World” 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 203 Mathew Zaia
  • “Defending the Castle: Search Incident to Arrest after R. v. Stairs” 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 227 Colton Fehr
  • “La Création D’un Tribunal Spécialisé en Matière de Violences Sexuelles et de Violence Conjugale au Québec: Vers une Meilleure Justice?” 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 269 Anne-Marie Boisvert
  • “Le Châtiment Corporel des Enfants: L’Article 43 C.cr. n’a Plus sa Place en Droit Canadien” 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 241 Maya-Chahinez Oultache

Canadian Family Law Quarterly vol. 41

  • “”Put Bluntly”, We Need to Contemplate Polyamory” 41 C.F.L.Q. 99 Kelsey Beazer; Elizabeth Cameron; Samantha Simpson
  • “Torts and Family Law: What’s New, What’s Old and How To Use” It 41 C.F.L.Q. 23 Mary Jo Maur
  • “Moving Towards a Post-Pandemic “New Normal”: Perspectives of Ontario Family Justice Professionals and Self-Represented Litigant” 41 C.F.L.Q. 1 Claire Houston; Rachel Birnbaum; Nicholas Bala
  • “A Look at Recent Developments in the Law of Contempt” 41 C.F.L.Q. 77 Katherine Cooligan; Brad Yaeger

Canadian Journal of Administrative Law and Practice vol. 35

  • “Case Comment: Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Abrametz.” Fredrick Schumann. 35 Can. J. Admin. L. & Prac. 385.
  • “Vavilov, Reasonableness Review and Logic.” Louis Guilbault. 35 Can. J. Admin. L. & Prac. 287.
  • “Citizenship Revocation in Canada: Dialogue or Defiance?” Ben Lerer, Alex Bogach. 35 Can. J. Admin. L. & Prac. 253.
  • “Jurisdiction and Access to Justice: An Analysis of Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario-Issued Notices of Intent to Dismiss.” Frank Nasca. 35 Can. J. Admin. L. 253.
  • “The Law Society of Ontario’s Duty to Accommodate Mental Disability: Toward a Distinct Regulatory Approach.” David LeMesurier. 35 Can. J. Admin. L. & Prac. 325.

Education and Law Journal vol. 31

  • “The Many Faces of Educational “Choice”: Student Autonomy, Parental Rights, and the “Choice in Education” Threat.” Ned Lecic, Marvin A. Zuker. 31 Educ. & L.J. 83.
  • “At the Intersection of Fairness and Rights: The Ombudsman’s Administrative Oversight of Education in Ontario.” Jean-Frédéric Hübusch. 31 Educ. & L.J. 139.
  • “Ontario’s Teacher-Certification Math Test Unconstitutional Due to Disproportionate Negative Effect on Racialized Candidates.” Max Halparin. 31 Educ. & L.J. 201.
  • “Quebec’s Laicity Act, Teacher, and Dress Codes in Canadian Case Law: Introspection before Legal Action.” Darryl Hunter, Paul Clarke. 31 Educ. & L.J. 169.
  • “Saskatchewan Court of Appeal Rules on Reassignment Grievance at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.” Simone Truemner-Caron. 31 Educ. & L.J. 209.
  • “Mandatory Vaccination in Toronto Schools.” Rebecca Meharchand. 31 Educ. & L.J. 2015.
  • “A Class Complaint Forces the Vancouver School Board to Respond to Charges of Systemic Anti-Black Racism.” Max Halparin. 31 Educ. & L.J. 223.

Intellectual Property Journal vol. 34

  • Book review – Law and Reputation: How the Legal System Shapes Behavior by Producing Information, Roy Shapira (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2020) 34 I.P.J. 227 Aviv Gaon

Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law vol. 16

  • “Notable Case Law Concerning Legislative Bodies and Their Members.” Melanie J. Mortensen. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 753.
  • “Review of: Behind Closed Doors: The Law and Politics of Cabinet Secrecy by Yan Campagnolo (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2021).” Andrew Flavelle Martin. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 771.
  • “How Political Law Enables Authoritarian Opportunity: The Transition to Federalism in Nepal.” Jena Karim. 16. J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 663.
  • “Attorney General v. Latu, [2021] WSCA 6 (23 July 202) The Court of Appeal of Samoa Has Upheld Democracy, the Rule of Law and the Constitution, by Ending a 15-Week Political Impasse.” Gavin Murphy. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 747.
  • “Review of: Laws of the Constitution Consolidated by Donald F. Bur (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2020).” J.W.J. Bowden. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. 779.
  • “Law Society of Ontario v. Ghadmari 2021 ONLSTH 45, [2021] LSDD 64 [Ghamari].” Andrew Flavelle Martin. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 735.
  • “What Would Aristotle Say?” Gregory Tardi. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 591.
  • “Money, Pavement and PEP: Assessing Canada’s New Pre-Election Rules on Third Party Spending.” Dr. Cristine de Clercy, Valere Gaspard. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 607.
  • “Can Inmates in Canada’s Penal Institutions Vote? A Transnational Perspective.” Anna Grundmark. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 685.
  • “Votes for Women: An Indispensable Step Toward Equality.” Erin Curtis. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 713.
  • “The Role of Attorney General and Minister of Justice; The Perspective of an Informed Citizen.” Dawn McKevitt. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 703.
  • “Alert! On the Formation of a Democratic Government / Alerte! De la Formation D’un Gouvernement Démocratique.”  16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 567.
  • “The Public Nature of Ministerial Tasks: Mandate Letters before the Supreme Court of Canada.” James L. Turk. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 601.
  • ““Ukraine—Crucifixion”: The First-Ever Stationary Exhibition on the Ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War.” Dmytro Hainetdinov.
  • “Lé Fédéralisme Coopératif et les Administrations Publiques au Canada : Terminologies, Modalités, Métaphores.” Dave Guénette. 16 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L.

McGill Journal of Law and Health vol. 15

  • “The Best Interest of the Child and the Limits of Parental Autonomy to Refuse Vaccination” 15 McGill J. L. & Health 65 Alison Braley-Rattai
  • “A Roadmap for Change: International Strategies for Improving End-of-Life Care” 15 McGill J. L. & Health 119 Daphne Gilbert

University of Toronto Law Journal vol. 72

  • “Of Linchpins and Bedrock: Hope, Despair, and Pragmatism in Animal Law” 72 U. Toronto L.J. 468 Jessica Eisen
  • “Heritage Preservation Easements, Urban Property, and Heritage Law: Exploring Canadian Common Law and Civil Law Tools for Responding to International Cultural Preservation Frameworks for Cities” 72 U. Toronto L.J. 436 Sara Gwendolyn Ross
  • “The Death of Law? Computationally Personalized Norms and the Rule of Law” 72 U. Toronto L.J. 373 Timothy Endicott , Karen Yeung
  • “The Judicial Review of Legality”  72 U. Toronto L.J. 403 Natalie R Davidson , Leora Bilsky

Please note: The library will be closed on Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 for Canada Day.  Regular library service will resume Wednesday, July 2nd at 8:30AM.