Court of Appeal of New Brunswick Education Seminar: St. Andrews Lectures 2023 XVI

Overview

This program brought together judges from the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, the Court  of King's Bench of New Brunswick, and the Provincial Court of New Brunswick. It addressed five main  topics: Charter challenges, the law of evidence, decision-making, trial management, and Supreme Court  of Canada jurisprudence. 

Objectives

The objectives of this seminar were to provide the judicial participants with important legal  updates relating to the five topics of study and to develop judges’ competencies at making decisions and  managing files in these areas. 

Summary

Leading criminal law experts from the bench, the Crown and defence delivered focused and
practical presentations on recent legal developments and complex issues relating to Charter challenges,
the law of evidence, decision-making, trial management, and Supreme Court of Canada case-law.
Interactive activities and discussions reinforced participants’ adjudication skills in the areas of detention
and stereotypical reasoning. The seminar was divided into five segments: presentations on Charter
principles and provisions, including topics surrounding s. 8, s. 10(b) and s. 24(2) of the Charter;
presentations on evidence, including hearsay and circumstantial evidence; decision-making topics, such
as guidance on structuring reasons and ensuring sufficiency, and applying R. v. W.(D.), 1991 SCC 93.
Other sessions also focused on trial management and an overview of recent Supreme Court of Canada
caselaw.