TORONTO, February 26, 2014 – Recent changes to the Criminal Code and the common law have sought to clarify the law on self-defence and various other related justification and excuses. The law in this area continues to evolve as it is applied not only to bar-room brawlers but to ordinary citizens, parents, hockey players, abused spouses and, increasingly, police officers.
Osgoode Professional Development will bring together experts from diverse sectors of the criminal justice system on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 9am to 4:30pm at Osgoode Professional Development Centre, 1 Dundas St. W., 26th floor, in Toronto to discuss, debate and give practical tips on the latest “need to know” developments, including:
• What is the current state of the s.25 Criminal Code defence of Protection of Persons Acting under Authority?
• Understanding the interaction of the criminal justice process and police act discipline systems
• Consent and capacity issues in sex assault cases
• New Citizen’s Arrest Criminal Code provisions and how they work in practice
• Applying the new self-defence provisions and SCC decision in R. v. Ryan in domestic abuse cases
• Avoiding potential landmines in applying the “air of reality” test post recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions
• What is left of the traditional defences in R. v. Jobidon and Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v. Attorney General in Right of Canada?
Keynote speaker will be Ian D. Scott, former Director, Ontario Special Investigations Unit. Program chairs are Danielle Robitaille, Partner, Henein Hutchison LLP and Suhail Akhtar, Crown Counsel, Ministry of the Attorney General (Ontario).
WHAT: Self-Defence and Use of Force: The New and Evolving Substantive Defences to Violent Conduct presented by Osgoode Professional Development
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 9am to 4:30pm.
WHERE: Osgoode Professional Development Centre, 1 Dundas St. W., 26th floor, Toronto
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Media Contact:
Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca
