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Criminal Procedure

Criminal law

Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Metaphysics & Morals In Canadian Criminal Justice: A Pragmatic Analysis Of The Conflict Between Neuroscience And Retributive Folk Psychology, Sarah Greenwood Oct 2020

Metaphysics & Morals In Canadian Criminal Justice: A Pragmatic Analysis Of The Conflict Between Neuroscience And Retributive Folk Psychology, Sarah Greenwood

LLM Theses

The retributive justification of Canadian criminal law contains several assumptions about human nature that conflicts with what neuroscience has established regarding human behavior and the function of rationality. Interdisciplinary discourse on this conflict between law and neuroscience has unnecessarily implicated the free will debate and is further stagnated by epistemic cultural differences between the two disciplines. To avoid these roadblocks, this thesis applies the methodological principles of pragmatic philosophy. Rather than asking which description of human nature is true, pragmatic inquiry focuses on the difference either would make in practice. This analysis reveals that retributive folk psychology in practice causes …


Examination Of Witnesses In Criminal Cases, Hannah Steeves Jan 2017

Examination Of Witnesses In Criminal Cases, Hannah Steeves

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

The newest edition of Examination of Witnesses in Criminal Cases maintains its status as a key text on the topic. Author Earl J Levy, a national leader in the area of criminal law, has worked with the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, taught criminal law courses at various Canadian law schools, and has over 50 years experience as a litigator. The book, now in its seventh edition, contains necessary updates, and improvements have been made to both format and content while maintaining a similar, logical overview as in previous editions.


The Evolution Of The Law Of Evidence: Plus Ça Change…?, Robert Currie Jan 2011

The Evolution Of The Law Of Evidence: Plus Ça Change…?, Robert Currie

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Originally prepared as a CLE backgrounder for criminal lawyers, this article provides a brief and occasionally critical account of developments in the law of evidence over the last three or so decades. Particular attention is paid to the Supreme Court of Canada’s introduction and development of the “principled approach.” It is argued that this framework has been most successful where it has coalesced into a more traditional-looking “rules-based” stance, albeit one based in principle, and less so where looser tests of principle have been given freer rein.


The Criminal Defence Lawyer's Role, David Layton Oct 2004

The Criminal Defence Lawyer's Role, David Layton

Dalhousie Law Journal

Defence lawyers often fight to prevent the conviction of people who have committed serious crimes. How can this role be justified? In providing his answer the author generally accepts the traditional view of criminal lawyering according to which defence counsel "does good" by ensuring that the state does not obtain a conviction in the absence of proof beyond a reasonable doubt based on admissible and reliable evidence Ethical advocacy in the criminal context is thus heavily influenced by a conception of justice that includes not only the search for truth but also due process rights for accused persons. The author …


Guilty Plea Revocation, Constitutional Waiver, And The Charter: "A Guilty Plea Is Not A Trap", John Dr Craig Apr 1997

Guilty Plea Revocation, Constitutional Waiver, And The Charter: "A Guilty Plea Is Not A Trap", John Dr Craig

Dalhousie Law Journal

The entry of a guilty plea has significant constitutional ramifications. It relieves the Crown of its obligation to prove the elements of an offence beyond a reasonable doubt and constitutes a waiver by the accused of various rights including the right to put the Crown's case to the test of a trial, the right to confront Crown witnesses through cross-examination and the right to remain silent in relation to the determination of legal guilt. In light of these constitutional dimensions, the article considers an issue which has received little academic attention: the revocation of a guiltyplea. The authorassesses the existing …


Scientific Statistical And Methodology And The Doctrine Of "Reasonable Doubt" In Criminal Law; (With Specific Reference To The Breath Analysis For Blood Alcohol) Empirical Fact Or Legal Ficton?, A. Burton Bass, H. Davidson Gesser, K. Stephan Mount May 1979

Scientific Statistical And Methodology And The Doctrine Of "Reasonable Doubt" In Criminal Law; (With Specific Reference To The Breath Analysis For Blood Alcohol) Empirical Fact Or Legal Ficton?, A. Burton Bass, H. Davidson Gesser, K. Stephan Mount

Dalhousie Law Journal

Lawyers pride themselves on being men of reason. After all, they postulate, it is the "reasonable man" who is enshrined at the apex of the Anglo-American legal system in the adjudication of civil disputes; it is the legally trained mind that proves so finely honed a tool in the area of problem solving in private practice; the rational decisional process is the hallmark of the judicial mind. Where the life or liberty of an individual is in contention this expert "sense" of reason is brought one step further - the criminal law, with few exceptions, will not countenance a mere …