OBA Criminal Justice and Family Law PROGRAM | Original Program Date: June 15, 2021

Recent changes to both federal and provincial family law legislation incorporate a new definition of “family violence” and provide guidance on how the court should consider the impact of any family violence in determining the best interests of the child. It is critical that both criminal lawyers and family lawyers understand how family violence-related charges under the Criminal Code of Canada intersect with the new family violence provisions in the family legislation.

This is but one example of the many critical points of intersection between the two legal areas. Join us as our expert panel unravels the complexities of parallel family proceedings and criminal charges, including:

• What do the new family violence provisions mean for both criminal and family proceedings?
• Navigating a “no contact” bail term and its impact for parenting time with children
• Crafting bail conditions to accommodate the current status of family proceedings
• What you need to know about bail variations
• The family court’s new duty to consider an order, proceeding, undertaking or recognizance in relation to criminal matters
• Dealing with parenting and safety concerns when family violence fails to meet the criminal law standard
• How to advise a client who finds their spouse’s illegal substances in the home
• Implications of having a spouse charged, particularly for families of limited means

PROGRAM CHAIRS

Kathy Batycky, Stoner & Company Family Law
Ian Kasper, Kapoor Barristers

PROGRAM SPEAKERS

Danielle Carbonneau, Assistant Crown Attorney, Domestic Violence Team
Annamaria Enenajor, Ruby Shiller Enenajor DiGiuseppe, Barristers
Leanne Townsend, Family Lawyer & Divorce Strategist, Mills and Mills LLP