A Practical Guide to the Charter: Section 11(b)

Alan D. Gold, B.Sc., LL.B., is one of Canada’s leading and most successful criminal lawyers. He is the author of Quicklaw’s well-regarded Criminal Law NetLetter™, and a Certified Specialist in criminal litigation. Mr. Gold was the first Chairman of the Criminal Litigation Specialty Committee, and past President of the Ontario Criminal Lawyers’ Association (from 1997 to 2001). In 1993, Mr. Gold was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, and in 1997 he was honoured with the G. Arthur Martin Award for contribution to criminal justice. Mr. Gold has annually been selected to be included in The Best Lawyers in Canada^SM since the inaugural edition was published in 2006. For over 35 years, Mr. Gold has received the highest possible rating, AV Preeminent, from Martindale-Hubbell, given to those who have been recognized by their peers for excellence in both legal ability and ethical practice.

Mr. Gold was thrice elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada and served as Chair of the Discipline Hearing Panel. He then became an Emeritus Bencher. He has annually authored since 2007 The Practitioner’s Criminal Code, as well as The Practitioner’s Criminal Precedents (with Michael Lacy) and The Practitioner’s Ontario Criminal Practice. Mr. Gold has also authored 16 annual volumes of the Annual Review of Criminal Law, the monthly Drinking & Driving Law and annually authors Defending Drinking and Driving Cases. His book Expert Evidence in Criminal Cases: The Scientific Approach was awarded the 2005 Walter Owen Book Prize, which is offered by the Foundation for Legal Research, and is designed to recognize excellent legal writing and to reward outstanding new contributions to Canadian legal literature that enhance the quality of legal research in this country. A second edition was published in 2009. He is also the author of LexisNexis Canada’s Halsbury’s® Laws of Canada Criminal Offences and Defences and Halsbury’s Laws of Canada Criminal Procedure.

Mr. Gold has written many articles and other publications on legal topics, has delivered speeches and presentations on a wide assortment of legal topics to lawyers, judges, law students and other audiences, and is frequently a media commentator. Since August 1996, he has written Alan D. Gold’s Criminal Law NetLetter, available on Lexis Advance Quicklaw, every Monday morning. His many articles and presentations are also available there in his database Alan D. Gold’s Criminal Law Articles.

Michael W. Lacy, B.A., LL.B., is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer practising primarily in the area of criminal law. He is a partner at Brauti Thorning LLP in the criminal law group. Mr. Lacy has appeared at all levels of trial courts in Ontario, on a variety of criminal law matters. He has also argued more than 150 cases at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and has appeared as counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also appeared in Courts or Tribunals in Alberta, Manitoba New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Mr. Lacy is currently a member of the pro bono Court of Appeal for Ontario duty counsel program, assisting self-represented appellants. He frequently participates in continuing legal education programs for defence lawyers, Crown counsel and police organizations particularly in the area of search and seizure and wiretaps. Mr. Lacy is a past editor of the Weekly Criminal Bulletin and co-authors The Practitioner’s Ontario Criminal Practice (with Alan Gold) and has co-authored other books in this series. He is consistently listed in the criminal lawyers’ category in The Best Lawyers in Canada and is a past President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario).

Laura J. Metcalfe, B.A. (Hon.), J.D., practises criminal trial and appellate law at Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation. She has been counsel on cases before all levels of courts in Ontario and British Columbia. Ms. Metcalfe has written several articles and other publications on criminal law issues and has co-authored other books in this series. Her article on the mens rea requirement in fentanyl drug cases is available at LexisNexis Quicklaw: Alan D. Gold’s Collection of Criminal Law Articles, and her article, “Reconsidering the Constitutionality of Mandatory Minimum Sentences under Section 231(5)(e) Post-Luxton,” is available online. Ms. Metcalfe is a member of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association.