Criminal Law
Ask a Lawyer – “Can a party host be held responsible if a guest gets drunk and injures someone as a result?”
It is uncontroversial that a commercial host (someone who is paid to serve alcohol) can be held responsible if their drunken guests injure themselves and others. This is a default legal rule. For example, if a bar over-serves a customer, and the customer then drives drunk and injures someone, the victim can sue the bar…
Read MoreAsk a Lawyer – “When can a police officer demand that I take a breathalyzer test?”
The current Criminal Code of Canada gives broad discretion to peace officers, including police officers, to demand that a person take a breathalyzer test, including but not limited to the following situations: The officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has some amount of alcohol or drugs in their body and that the…
Read MoreAsk A Lawyer – What are the penalties for impaired driving?
Impaired driving is a serious offense. In December 2018, the Canadian Government passed new laws concerning driving while impaired, commonly known as DUI (driving under the influence). The amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada include new offences and new minimum sentences for driving under the influence. The prohibited blood alcohol concentration is 80 milligrams…
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