Home Podcasts Canada's Court: Oral Arguments from the SCC
Canada's Court: Oral Arguments from the SCC

Canada's Court: Oral Arguments from the SCC

Criminal Lawyers' Association 91 Episodes Oct 6, 2026

Canada's Court is a podcast that presents selected oral arguments from the Supreme Court of Canada. It is produced by the Criminal Lawyers' Association and distributed on major podcast platforms. Each episode highlights a hearing, with full webcast video available from the Supreme Court of Canada website. The Supreme Court of Canada is not affiliated with the podcast and did not produce or participate in its creation.

Episodes

Episode 4: His Majesty the King v. Robert Joseph DeSutter
Episode 4: His Majesty the King v. Robert Joseph DeSutter Oct 6, 2026 01:06:23 The respondent was charged with multiple counts of sexual offences in relation to three separate complainants, and in addition was charged with one count of simple assault. At trial, he was found guilty of the assault, but acquitted of the sexual offences. The trial judge found there was reasonable doubt on whether the acts were for a sexual purpose, and whe
Episode 3: His Majesty the King v. Robert Vrbanic, et al.
Episode 3: His Majesty the King v. Robert Vrbanic, et al. Sep 29, 2026 02:13:51 The two respondents, jointly tried for a number of drug trafficking and related charges, argued that the delay in their case was unreasonable. While both the Crown and Defence agreed at trial that the delay was over the 18-month presumptive Jordan ceiling, the Crown sought to justify the delay by arguing that the complexity of the case necessitated the delay. The trial judge di
Episode 2: W.W. v. His Majesty the King
Episode 2: W.W. v. His Majesty the King Sep 22, 2026 00:55:53 Despite the fact that the trial judge found that the appellant sent sexually explicit material to a minor, the trial judge was left in doubt as to whether (a) the identity of the appellant was made out on the video as an element of the offence, and (b) the specific intent to commit one of the enumerated offences, reasoning that it could have been simply a case of “flirtation”. The appellant was ac
Episode 1: His Majesty the King v. Dylon Saddleback
Episode 1: His Majesty the King v. Dylon Saddleback Sep 15, 2026 01:06:44 Dylan Saddleback was convicted of second-degree murder in a judge alone trial. What was at issue on appeal was the trial judge’s use of statements made by the deceased during a phone call to a 3rd party, who testified at trial. The duration of that same phone call was important because the trial judge found that this is when the killing took place, as the 3rd par
Episode 7: S.A. v. His Majesty the King
Episode 7: S.A. v. His Majesty the King Feb 5, 2026 00:42:02 S.A.’s trial for the charges of assault and sexual assault, was scheduled to commence on April 17, 2023. He elected to be tried by judge and jury. On the trial date, a judge was unavailable to preside, so the trial did not commence. A subsequent trial date was scheduled for February 12, 2024. The defence brought an 11(b) application. The 11(b) application judge s
Episode 6: J.W. v. His Majesty the King
Episode 6: J.W. v. His Majesty the King Jan 28, 2026 02:45:05 The appellant, an Indigenous man with significant cognitive difficulties, repeatedly sexually assaulted a worker at the group home where he resided. He remained in custody pending trial, including a period of detention in a psychiatric facility while temporarily unfit to stand trial. After resiling from three agreements to plead guilty, the appellant did so the fourth time. From charge to convicti
Episode 5: Buddy Ray Underwood v. His Majesty the King
Episode 5: Buddy Ray Underwood v. His Majesty the King Jan 22, 2026 00:54:01 After judge alone trial, the appellant, Buddy Ray Underwood, was convicted of robbery, kidnapping, unlawful confinement and murder. The trial judge acquitted the appellant of first degree murder but entered a conviction for the included offence of second degree murder instead. The Crown appealed the acquittal.The Court of Appeal unanimously allowed the Crown’s appeal, quashed t
Episode 4: R. v. R. A
Episode 4: R. v. R. A Jan 14, 2026 01:04:49 The central issue in this case is whether or not the appellant committed an assault in 1978, under s. 244 of the Criminal Code as it then was. R.A. had confessed to police that when he was babysitting the complainant, who was 5 years old at the time, he was caught masturbating by her as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom. He asked the complainant if she wanted t
Episode 3: R. v. Chicoine-Joubert (French)
Episode 3: R. v. Chicoine-Joubert (French) Dec 17, 2025 00:51:49 Ce c’est l’affaire judiciaire de Maxime Chicoine-Joubert contre sa majesté le roi.Cette affaire est une qui est allée à la Cour suprême du Canada. Cela implique un meurtre au deuxième degré et une agression armée.L'appel portait sur la question des instructions données au jury, qu'elles soient exactes, inexactes ou incomplètes.Mr. Chicoine-Joubert a soutenu que le juge avait commis une erreur en d
Episode 2: R. v. Hanrahan
Episode 2: R. v. Hanrahan Dec 10, 2025 01:16:21 At trial where the central issue was whether or not the complainant had consented to sexual activity with the accused, the jury found the accused not guilty of sexual assault.  The Crown appealed, citing what they believed to be two errors. First: The Crown argued that the trial judge had been too extreme in restricting what text messages between the accused and the complainant coul
Episode 1: R. v. Bilodeau
Episode 1: R. v. Bilodeau Dec 2, 2025 01:16:21 Mr. Bilodeau was convicted by a jury as a party to manslaughter per s. 21(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada, after he directed his eldest son to bring a firearm to the scene. The eldest son followed his father’s directions, and upon his arrival, fatally shot the two victims.  Mr. Bilodeau had chased the two victims in his truck, after he saw the two men, who were also in a
Episode 7: R. v. Chicoine-Joubert (French)
Episode 7: R. v. Chicoine-Joubert (French) Nov 5, 2025 00:51:33 Au terme d’un procès devant jury présidé par le juge Blanchard de la Cour supérieure, l’appelant, Maxime Chicoine-Joubert, a été déclaré coupable d’un chef de meurtre au deuxième degré et d’un chef de voies de fait armées. En appel, M. Chicoine-Joubert soutenait que le juge avait erré dans ses directives relatives à l’homicide involontaire coupable et dans sa réponse aux questions du jury, en omet

Recommended