In this episode of Modern Law: Verdicts and Voices, two Chief Justices share their experiences incorporating Indigenous cultural and legal practices into proceedings, we hear concerns from the legal community about the Federal government's proposed new Strong Borders Act, or Bill C-2, and we take a look at the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision on publication bans, Dagenais v CBC.

In this special election edition, host Alison Crawford welcomes two of Canada’s top criminal lawyers Matthew Gourlay, from Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP, and Daniel Lerner from Lerner Law, as we take a closer look at the federal parties’ criminal justice platforms. (01:35 to 24:44)

Anne McLellan and Peter MacKay, who both served as Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General, have a lively discussion on major legal issues that have been missing from the political debate during the campaign. (24:47 to 46:20)

We also hear from CBA President Lynne Vicars, who talks about the Canadian Bar Association’s priorities for this federal election campaign. (46:25 to 52:50)

In this first episode of Modern Law: Verdicts and Voices, we delve into the contentious legal debate over the notwithstanding clause; we take a look at a prohibition-era judgment that, even 100 years later, continues to affect interprovincial trade; and in an exclusive interview with Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner about the court’s milestone 150th anniversary, we learn how the court has started to explore the possibility of offering judicial mediation to expand access to justice.

An interview with Benjamin Perrin, author of Indictment - the Criminal Justice System on Trial.

“What I’m seeing both in the media and in politics of it, provincially, federally a real, very rapid pendulum swing happening towards tough on crime policies 2.0. it is incredibly dangerous. It is cruel, ineffective and very costly financially as well.” - Perrin