Bail
Daniel Lerner interviewed by thecourt.ca on R. v. St. Cloud
thecourt.ca is a blog run by the students of the Osgoode Hall Law School where students write about recent cases from the Supreme Court of Canada. On occasion, they interview a lawyer familiar with the issue before the Supreme Court to answer questions about the case from a lawyer’s perspective.
Recently, I was interviewed by thecourt.ca about the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision in R. v. St. Cloud (which addresses certain grounds in the Criminal Code to deny bail, as well as the procedure for reviewing bail decisions). The article was published on August 18, 2015, and can be found by clicking here.
John Oliver on bail
I was going to write something this week about drinking and driving, the so-called “last drink defences”, and the problems of telling the police “I had nothing to drink” (you’ll have to read my next entry about that now).
I was definitely not going to write another entry about bail so soon after my last ones. I even managed to avoid being caught up with everyone’s urge to comment on the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision on bail in R. v. St. Cloud (essentially, the Court has made it much easier to detain people prior to their trial for serious offences, and time will tell how that will change the day-to-day running of the bail system).
However, I did not count on John Oliver broadcasting his piece last Sunday on bail. True, it is primarily dealing with bail in the United States, which is very, very different than bail in Canada. It is still entertaining to watch.
So, enjoy: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Bail (HBO)
(And for anyone watching this clip who works in the Bail Program or John Howard Society, definitely check out 13:48 onwards!)
New FAQ at Lerner Law about bail
You get a call. You are told someone you know has been arrested and held for bail. You are asked if you can assist…
I’m often asked a number of questions about what to do in the above scenario: “Do I have to pay money to bail someone out?” “Do I need to find a lawyer?” “What are my responsibilities if I bail someone out?” “Will I need to testify?”
As a result, Lerner Law has added a Frequently Asked Questions about bail, which can be found here.
If you have a question that is not answered on our FAQ, email me at daniel@lernerlaw.ca.
Also, in case you missed it, take a look at my earlier blog entry when I wrote about the need to reform the bail system.
If you’ve been told that your loved one is being held for bail, contact Lerner Law right away so we can help you and your family through this overwhelming experience.
Problems with our bail system
I was in bail court last week acting as duty counsel. While in court, I ended up assisting a defendant who was in custody awaiting bail. What happened in her case is a clear example of the problems that need fixing in our bail courts.
Continue reading