Extreme intoxication akin to automatism is a legitimate defence in acts of violence, including sexual assault and murder, Ontario’s top court ruled on Wednesday in declaring unconstitutional a federal law that nullifies the defence.The 3-0 ruling came in two cases in which men with drug-induced psychosis stabbed family members: a high-school student who, after using magic mushrooms, yelled “I am God,” then stabbed his father to death and seriously wounded his father’s partner; and a man who tried to kill himself by taking at least 30 Wellbutrin pills, and then stabbed his mother, who...…Extreme intoxication akin to automatism is a legitimate defence in acts of violence, including sexual assault and murder, Ontario’s top court ruled on Wednesday in declaring unconstitutional a federal law that nullifies the defence.The 3-0 ruling came in two cases in which men with drug-induced psychosis stabbed family members: a high-school student who, after using magic mushrooms, yelled “I am God,” then stabbed his father to death and seriously wounded his father’s partner; and a man who tried to kill himself by taking at least 30 Wellbutrin pills, and then stabbed his mother, who...WW…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tainted the U.S. extradition request for Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou by suggesting it is essentially political in nature, Ms. Meng’s lawyers argued in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Wednesday.The RCMP arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies on Dec. 1, 2018, after the United States Justice Department requested her extradition on a charge of fraud. Soon after, China arrested two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. They have been detained ever since, while Ms. Meng has been free on bail since shortly after her...…Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tainted the U.S. extradition request for Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou by suggesting it is essentially political in nature, Ms. Meng’s lawyers argued in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Wednesday.The RCMP arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies on Dec. 1, 2018, after the United States Justice Department requested her extradition on a charge of fraud. Soon after, China arrested two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. They have been detained ever since, while Ms. Meng has been free on bail since shortly after her...WW…

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld federal changes to sexual-assault proceedings that established new privacy protections and participation rights for alleged victims.The new protections split the court, with the majority in the 6-3 ruling saying that more remains to be done to create trials that are fairer for the complainant (alleged victim) in sexual-assault cases, while a dissenting judge called the changes a “formula for wrongful convictions.”Parliament established two major changes to the Criminal Code in 2018: When an accused individual possesses personal records of a...…The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld federal changes to sexual-assault proceedings that established new privacy protections and participation rights for alleged victims.The new protections split the court, with the majority in the 6-3 ruling saying that more remains to be done to create trials that are fairer for the complainant (alleged victim) in sexual-assault cases, while a dissenting judge called the changes a “formula for wrongful convictions.”Parliament established two major changes to the Criminal Code in 2018: When an accused individual possesses personal records of a...WW…