The Rights You Must Know When Dealing with The Police

 

Dealing with the police is not uncommon. Whether you have done something wrong or not, there may be a time when you’ll have to deal with the police. As a Canadian, you are protected against unlawful or unreasonable exercises of police , such as an unlawful search by police. In case you are in a situation wherein you find yourself dealing with the police or in a similar circumstance where you are left wondering about your legal rights, know that a professional lawyer is just a call away. Do not hesitate to call a lawyer to be in a better position to defend yourself as well as prevent life-long consequences of legal technicalities.

How to Deal with The Police

First of all, know that you have a right to hire a lawyer or consult one before proceeding to answer police questions. In fact, the police are legally bound to help you find a lawyer or contact an existing one if you are detained or if you are in their custody. 

Rights When Dealing with The Police

Below are some your rights that you have to know about.

·        If you are at home, the police cannot enter without permission or a warrant. They also cannot search your home without a search warrant or your permission to do so.

·        If you are in a vehicle, the police may stop your vehicle but what you disclose (aside from license) is up to you. The police also cannot just search your vehicle without a reason.

These are just the gist of your many rights when dealing with the police. Other rights may come into play depending on the situation. If you are unsure about a situation or if you want to be certain that you are legally protected, it is best to contact a defence lawyer as soon as possible. Calvin Barry is a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto. Do not hesitate to contact Calvin Barry should you need legal consultation when facing the police.

Calvin Barry - Calculating Net Worth

True wealth comes down to net worth, a measure of not only what you truly own (your assets) but also of your debt (your liabilities). Once you determine your net worth, you can make the reimbursement of your loans and unpaid bills a priority, after which you can get started on the path to saving.

Three steps for measuring your net worth

First, calculate your total liabilities by adding up all your current debt amounts: outstanding credit card balances, mortgage loan, car loan, student loan, line of credit, personal loans, and so on.

Next, add up your assets: bank accounts, savings (RRSP, TFSA, RESP, stocks, bonds), potential pension funds, shares of a company, the value of a parcel of land, the cash surrender value of an insurance policy, etc.

Finally, subtract your total liabilities from your total assets. The result is your net worth.

For example, if you own a house with a market value of $200,000, a $20,000 vehicle, and $5,000 in bank savings, your total assets amount to $225,000. If you owe $215,000 on your mortgage, $15,000 on your car loan, and have unpaid student loans and credit card balances of $20,000, your liabilities add up to $250,000. Your net worth is therefore negative: -$25,000.

Since net worth is not a measure of what you possess, but of what you truly own, it is worth taking the time to reflect on another important factor: your lifestyle. Reviewing some of your living habits could be a very profitable thing to do, especially when your income is increasing. You could see the sums you set aside as savings grow more rapidly if you opt, for a while at least, to maintain your existing lifestyle rather than expanding it.

Naturally, the choice is yours entirely: you can buy the car of your dreams for $100,000 and after a few years be the owner of a vehicle—the same one—worth $20,000. You will have an $80,000 write-off, or almost $160,000 in pre-tax terms. Or you could wisely invest the same $100,000 and, just 10 years later, find yourself with an extra $50,000 in funds.

The Rights You Must Know if You Get Arrested in Canada

 

Getting arrested is far from being a pleasant experience but knowing what to do and how to behave when you’ve been arrested can help secure a good outcome for your case. Here are the 3 rights that you must know in case of an arrest in Canada along with further information on how to exercise them.

https://calvinbarryleads.wixsite.com/calvinbarrylawfirm/post/using-your-right-to-counsel

https://calvinbarryleads.wixsite.com/calvinbarrylawfirm/post/canada-to-increase-fines-for-dui-over-12

Right to Speak With Your Chosen Counsel

The right to have an attorney is a fundamental right and is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. No matter what charge you’ve been arrested for (serious or petty), the police are obligated to help you contact your lawyer and to not force you to take a government lawyer if your chosen lawyer is not immediately available.

Note too that under this right, you also have the right to talk to your lawyer even when you’re not under arrest, such as in circumstances when the police request that you speak to them or go to the station. This is because details you may share may be used against you later. By having a criminal lawyer to consult with, you can better protect yourself against jeopardizing yourself.

https://calvinbarrylawyers.weebly.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-get-a-dui-charge-for-the-first-time

https://calvinbarrylawyers.weebly.com/blog/worse-mistakes-people-make-when-charged-with-a-dui

Right to Know What You’re Charged With

The police are obligated to inform you of the reason behind your arrest and what charges are filed against you. This is so that you will be able to make an informed decision regarding what information to share and what steps to take.

https://duilawyerstoronto.tumblr.com/post/686050728444313600/what-you-need-to-know-about-an-utter-threats

https://duilawyerstoronto.tumblr.com/post/686050427014430720/refusing-a-breath-sample-charge

Right Against Unreasonable Search or Seizure

Personal privacy, information, and other details are protected in Canada. This means that police officers do not have the right to search your possessions unless they have probable grounds to do so or if they can present a search warrant. If the officers have a probable cause, then you are expected to comply to avoid being charged with obstruction.

https://calvinbarrylawfirm.wordpress.com/2022/06/03/pleading-guilty-for-a-dui-in-canada/

https://calvinbarrylawfirm.wordpress.com/2022/06/03/what-you-have-to-know-about-facing-a-civil-lawsuit-with-a-criminal-conviction/

Criminal cases may be dismissed or withdrawn at trial if it can be proven that the accused person’s rights have been violated by the arresting officer. 

https://ridzeal.com/what-characteristics-make-a-good-criminal-defence-lawyer/

What To Do When You Get A DUI Charge In Toronto Or The GTA

Hiring a DUI lawyer is the first thing that anyone accused of driving under the influence or facing a DUI charge should do.

The above is to ensure that a good defense is established early on as municipal, provincial, and federal governments are quite strict and ruthless when it comes to prosecuting DUI cases.

Groundwork for Good Defense

Whether or not one is guilty of driving under the influence, the courts follow a procedure wherein the accused will be asked to appear in court. Should the first court appearance is to be without a lawyer, the defendant can file a request for two to three weeks continuance to find and hire a DUI lawyer. In the event that the prosecutor provides a disclosure package containing witness statements and police notes, a charge screening form, and a synopsis of DUI charge, this should be safeguarded and shared with the selected lawyer.

Going for A Guilty Plea

Hiring a DUI lawyer is a must even for those who plan to plead guilty. This is because even with a guilty plea, there are still negotiations to be done that can turn events to be more favourable for the defendant.

Note that pleading guilty will lead to a criminal conviction that will be tied to one’s name for life. It will be there no matter how much fine was paid and no matter how  long a jail time was served. It is one thing to be accused and convicted and a totally different thing to convict one’s self. For one, holding a public office will be next to impossible as well as having a career as a medical professional, a legal professional, part of the law enforcement, and many more. You will have to be fully aware of the consequences of pleading guilty before doing so. Having a DUI lawyer can help you with this.

Defend Against a DUI Charge

Choosing to fight a DUI Charge should begin with a good strategy formulated by a Criminal Lawyer. This requires a detailed initial consultation between the accused and the DUI lawyer to counter check all details which include but are not limited to:

• What the accused drank or ingested
• What the police saw and said
• What the defendant saw and said
• How were the intoxication tests administered
• Were there any witnesses
• Was the protocol followed
• How the arrest was done

Part of the defense for a DUI charge is for the defendant to behave as a model citizen and not cause trouble during the case’s duration. This means dressing appropriately for court, showing up on time, responding respectfully when addressed, and generally showing a sense of social responsibility. Know that no matter how amazing a DUI lawyer is, things will not end well with a client that comes to court late and obviously intoxicated.

A good DUI lawyer will prepare the client for cross examinations and giving testimonies, possibly going over questions the other party will ask to help the client be more confident and eloquent when speaking in court. All in all, a defendant that can show the court that he’s repentant and shows commitment to be a better person is a dream client to defend for DUI lawyers.

A DUI conviction can mean a stain on your record that can affect what jobs you can take, where you can buy or rent a home, how much insurance you’ll have to pay, and more. You need to ensure that you don’t hurt your chances of getting a DUI pardon as soon as possible and that you have a DUI lawyer that can mitigate your charges. Calvin Barry is a Criminal Defence Lawyer in Toronto that can help with this. Contact us today!

Is It Possible To Get Fired For A DUI?

If you have been charged for impaired driving or over 80, you may be worrying whether this could get you fired from your job more so if your job requires that you have a license. You may be concerned that your employer will terminate your employment and want to know if they have a legal basis to do so. The best way to get the answers that you need is to get proper legal advice and take note of the facts below.

Inform Your Employer About Your DUI

If your job requires you to drive or have an active license, you must immediately let your employers know if you have a DUI Charge as well as any development that follows. You must not operate a vehicle with a suspended license and your employers should not force you either.

If your license suspension is temporary, your employer can find you another task or role until you get your license back. If your loss of license is related to a disability or a disease (note that the Ontario Court of Appeal has declared that alcoholism is a disability) then your employer will be obliged to accommodate your loss of license as long as you are seeking proper treatment. This can mean being absorbed into another role in the company while your previous position remains open for you until you regain your ability to drive. If you will be fired for this, this might fall under disability-based discrimination in employment for which you could be entitled to general damages and wage losses compensation to be awarded by an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

When Can Your Employer Fire You Over a DUI?

An employer has no right to indefinitely suspend an employee following an impaired driving charge or an over 80 except in special circumstances. If the employer would do so, the employee will be deemed wrongfully terminated.

An employee on a contractual job with stipulations for termination of the contract if an employee were to be charged with a DUI can be fired legally. Some jobs require you to drive like a private investigator or delivery service.  Another situation wherein proper termination may be applicable is when the employee who has a DUI also happens to be involved in seriously negligent and dangerous behavior that could besmirch the employer’s reputation in the community. In some cases, the nature of the employer will be considered as well. For instance, if a person charged with a DUI is employed in an organization against drunk driving, then a misconduct related to drunk driving is a just reason for termination.

Know that each employment situation is unique when it comes to having a DUI charge. The laws and protections that may apply to you may vary based on the specific circumstances surrounding your DUI charge. The best way to get clear answers is to consult with an experienced DUI lawyer who is well versed with the defence of such cases. With the right information, you can retain your employment as well as avoid unnecessary tarnish to your name and to your employer. Contact Calvin Barry today if you’re looking for a DUI lawyer in Toronto.

Calvin Barry & His Wife Sophie

 Some photos of Calvin Barry and his wife Sophie. 

Throwback Thursday: Calvin Represents the 'Spice man'!

When Naveen Polapady threw Indian spices in the face of an alleged car thief, he became an instant social media hero in Toronto. 

With Calvin Barry as his lawyer, here are some articles detailing the incident and the events that followed:

• Spice man trial: ‘It felt like I was swallowing hot coals’
• Spice Man trial: Photos show cut and welts on man after confrontation with restaurateur
• Spice man trial: Assault victim asked why he didn’t seek help at scene

Need the services of Toronto's best DUI lawyer? A DUI conviction can mean a stain on your record that can affect what jobs you can take, where you can buy or rent a home, how much insurance you’ll have to pay, and more. You need to ensure that you don’t hurt your chances of getting a DUI pardon as soon as possible and that you have a DUI lawyer that can mitigate your charges. Calvin Barry is a Criminal Lawyer in Toronto that can help with this. Contact Calvin Barry Law today!

Throwback Thursday: Calvin Barry Weighs in on the Rob Ford Crack Scandal

On the 7th year anniversary of Rob Ford admitting to smoking crack, we look back at Calvin's comments to the Toronto Sun. 

Toronto 2014 was a simpler time in Toronto, when our biggest news story was our crack smoking mayor. This Wayback Wednesday, we revisit this scandal in a Toronto Sun article featuring our very own Calvin Barry.

Full article test:

TORONTO - Punch drunk from revelation after revelation, there is one over arching question that seems to be ricocheting around the city.

With all the damning information that has emerged, why have no charges been laid against Mayor Rob Ford?

In these last tumultuous days alone, the imploding mayor has made some startling confessions: he’s smoked crack cocaine, he’s purchased illegal drugs during the last two years and he has indeed driven under the influence of alcohol.

And those are just his self-reported admissions of breaking the law. There are still the many other alleged episodes reported by Ford’s ex-staffers in explosive police interviews made public this week.

In these recently uncensored pages, there are at least two disturbing witness accounts of former staffers being in Ford’s vehicle while he was allegedly driving after consuming alcohol.

In the late spring of 2012, Jennifer Dwyer arrived at the mayor’s home to accompany him to an event. According to the court document, she texted another Ford employee to tell him the mayor was “impaired, driving very fast and that she did not know where she was going. Dwyer was scared in the vehicle.”

Former aide Chris Finkel told police he was a passenger in Ford’s Escalade on the way home from one of his high school football practices in the fall of 2012 when the mayor pulled over, grabbed a mickey of vodka out of an LCBO bag and in the space of two minutes, proceeded to chug it down between gulps of Gatorade. Ford then continued on his merry way.

Fickel was alarmed enough to wisely get out of the car. He said he regrets not reporting the incident.
Chief of Staff Earl Provost told investigators Ford was so intoxicated on the night of March 17, 2012 that he insisted on taking him home in a cab. But when the mayor got there, he got into his SUV and nearly struck the taxi as he speeded away.

The police themselves had Ford under surveillance this summer during Project Brazen — which is an interesting moniker in retrospect — and watched him having a boozy lunch before getting back behind the wheel “under the influence of alcohol and or drug but not to the state of impairment.”
How could they know that if they didn’t bother to pull him over?

“If #RobFord won’t resign, how much evidence is needed to press charges given his drinking & driving, drug use & other criminal acts?” asks Robert Zaichowski on Twitter.
How much indeed?

The mayor has even dared them. “If I did something illegal then arrest me,” Ford said in speaking to a radio interviewer 10 days ago. “Obviously, I haven’t.”

Police Chief Bill Blair will only say that his officers conduct their investigations and then place the evidence they gather before the Crown attorney to decide if charges are laid — which seems rather disingenuous considering police arrest people all the time using their own discretion.

But former Crown Calvin Barry explains that while “a lot of it is embarrassing and humiliating” there really isn’t enough here to make a charge stick against the mayor.

The allegations of drunk driving are simply hearsay, accusations made to police long after the fact. There’s no officer who stopped him, smelled alcohol or asked for a breath test. “You need evidence of impairment,” said Barry, now a defence lawyer. “Within hours, all the evidence evaporates.”

What about the admission of buying illegal drugs? Barry says a vague confession isn’t enough: the person would have to be specific about what kind of drug, when and where it was purchased. Police would have to have it tested to prove that it was really a narcotic and not some other substance. “We don’t have any of that here,” he said.

A current Crown attorney agreed, saying he also hasn’t seen enough to warrant a criminal charge. “There’s a very high threshold,” explained the prosecutor, who didn’t want his name used. “There’s no case here that you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt.”

But this Crown also predicts that may change in the near future.

“There’s some kind of play going on,” he said. “There must be something in the works. I can’t imagine this is the end of the show here.”

Effects and Consequences of Drinking and Driving

 

Drinking and driving can carry life-long consequences depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Not only do these consequences affect the individuals involved by them serving jail time, paying for fines, and losing one’s license, it can also lead to strains in relationships and financial difficulties that can hurt entire families. If you’re not sure how devastating drinking and driving can be, continue reading below.

What Defines Drunk Driving?

Drunk driving in Ontario is defined as operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level that is ‘above 80’ or having more than 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. Note that this blood alcohol level can vary between individuals who drank the same amount of alcohol based on their gender, weight, height, metabolism, body types, and other related factors. Some people may not seem impaired but have a high blood alcohol level. As little as one to two drinks can make an individual impaired if that individual has a slight frame and consumed the drinks within a short span of time.

Why is Drunk Driving Taken Seriously by the Law?

The consequences of operating a vehicle when impaired can result in loss of life and permanent physical damage if an accident occurs. This is why even first offences of drunk driving can face relatively severe fines compared to other run-ins with the law. Consequent charges of drunk driving are met with jail time, a criminal record, and fines. This is not an over reaction by the law because drunk driving remains as one of the top offences every year based on statistics.

How to Face a Charge of Drinking and Driving?

Because drinking and driving is treated as a serious offence, a charge should be legally addressed promptly. If you have been arrested for drinking and driving and Canada, you must hire a DUI lawyer as soon as possible to make sure that everything is clarified to avoid a criminal record or minimize the severity of the punishments legally. Calvin Barry is a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto who handles charges of drinking and driving as a DUI lawyer. Contact Calvin Barry today.

 

What to Know About Domestic Violence Charges in Canada

 

Are you aware that domestic violence is not explicitly written as an offence in the criminal code of Canada? Yet, a charge of domestic violence is taken more seriously than other forms of assault given the relationship between the victim who lives together with the alleged abuser under the same roof.

The Nature of Domestic Violence

Most cases of domestic violence occur between romantic partners and as a result, have a huge psychological and emotional factor that needs to be considered as well. It is a well-known fact that strong emotions can fuel people to act irrationally and do things that they may regret later. It is important that the complainant should be physically separated from the perpetrator to prevent escalation as well as other complications.

Is Physical Violence A Parameter for Determining Domestic Violence?

An alleged abuser does not have to physically hurt the victim for a case to fall under a domestic violence charge. Damaging property or preventing the use of someone’s belongings fall under domestic violence. Even a small physical damage to things can mean a charge of domestic abuse or violence. Verbal threats are likewise treated seriously alongside harassment.

Accusations May Mean a Charge

The police have a zero-tolerance policy for possible cases of domestic violence. An alleged victim’s words are enough for the police to get involved because the priority is to keep the victim safe in this situation.

Sentence for Domestic Charges

Different offences carry different punishments, with domestic offences often carrying heavier punishments because they are considered more severe than other forms of violence or assault. If you’ve been accused of domestic violence, it is important to make sure that you aren’t charge for things that you did not commit. Hire a good criminal defence lawyer and go over the details of your charge to scrutinize loopholes and to form a good defence with your attorney. Hire a criminal defence attorney to protect your rights. If you’re looking for a domestic violence lawyer in Toronto, contact Calvin Barry today.

Throwback Thursday: Calvin Barry Represents the 'Chinese Warren Buffet'

With convicted fraudster Weizhen Tang in the news this week, as the OSC watchdog warned investors to stay away from him after he served 6 years in prison for fraud, we look back to 2009 when Calvin Barry represented Tang.

https://www.thestar.com/business/2009/06/11/chinese_warren_buffett_facing_charges_of_fraud.html

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/accused-ponzi-schemer-is-broke-lawyer-says-1.473842

Throwback Thursday: Calvin Barry Represents Anthony Galea

Anthony Galea billed $200,000 to U.S. pro athletes, court told
https://www.thestar.com/sports/2010/06/25/anthony_galea_billed_200000_to_us_pro_athletes_court_told.html

Galea court case causing media storm
https://www.thestar.com/sports/golf/2009/12/18/galea_court_case_causing_media_storm.html

Canadian doctor charged with unlawfully providing HGH to NFL players
https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2010/05/19/canadian_doctor_charged_with_unlawfully_providing_hgh_to_nfl_players.html

Celebrity doctor hit with four charges
https://www.thestar.com/sports/2009/12/17/celebrity_doctor_hit_with_four_charges.html

Wayback Wednesday: Calvin Barry Beats Rick Vaive DUI Charges. Not Guilty on all Charges

Watch Calvin discuss his client Rick Vaive being found not guilty on all his DUI charges. 

If you're looking for Toronto's best DUI lawyer, contact Calvin Barry today!

Cases of Domestic Violence Increase During Pandemic Response as People Stay Home

COVID-19 has been shutting down businesses and entire cities, making people stay home in an effort to keep safe and halt the spread of the virus. However, as millions of Canadians stay home to help flatten the group, it is becoming more apparent that the home is not a safe place for a vulnerable group of individuals. People who are in an abusive home or abusive relationships have no choice but be confined at home with their abusers.

More Opportunities for Abuse

The CTV National News shared a story about a woman who told them that her home life has grown increasingly violent since physical distancing and self-isolation began becoming the norm. The woman’s husband is currently staying home from his job and has been more violent, prompting the woman to escape to a shelter with her two children in tow.

No Safe Place

Not all victims of domestic violence have access to shelters. With physical distancing protocols in place, shelters are in full capacity and had to turn away some abuse victims. Sakeenah Homes Shelter’s Zena Chaudry shared that they have been getting more calls about emotional abuse, financial abuse, and physical abuse. The same pattern is seen all over the world, with France reporting a 36% increase in cases of domestic abuse. Meanwhile, China reported that calls to their help lines increased three-fold and UK’s cases increased by 25%.

Urgent Actions Are Needed

In light of increased reports of domestic violence and abuse all over the world, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate action by world leaders. He suggested that shelters should be classified as essential services during the pandemic plus make outreach groups and online services also available for those who may need them.

Do you know someone who is involved in a case of domestic violence? Proper legal representation by a domestic abuse lawyer is a must! Call Calvin Barry should you need a lawyer in Toronto who is well-versed in handling domestic violence cases. Contact Calvin Barry today.

Millions of Coronavirus Scam Emails Are Being Blocked by Google Everyday

Google has been actively fighting off scam emails related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest report says the tech giant is blocking around 100 million coronavirus scam emails per day. The coronavirus emails are phishing attacks launched by scammers to collect data such as personal information from unsuspecting individuals. After collecting the information, the information will be used to hack accounts or to steal identities to commit more fraud.

Explosion of Phishing Attacks

Criminals are getting more creative and can even send emails that may seem like regular emails from banks, government offices, and billing companies. The latest scam email trend is to use the coronavirus pandemic as the email’s header to get people to click on an email and provide the information the scammers are looking for in order to commit fraud. It is estimated that there could be hundreds of millions of scam emails per day and Google is able to filter or block 100 million per day to protect the 1.5 billion people who are users of Gmail service.

Impersonation of the World Health Organization

What is particularly alarming is how the phishing emails would impersonate authorities and health agencies. A huge number of such emails are impersonating the World Health Organization to persuade people to donate to bogus causes or to download malware. Some emails sent by the cyber criminals imitate government institutions to capitalize on government support packages.

The Fight Against Fraudulent Email

Google is currently using their machine learning tools to block coronavirus phishing emails and they’ve been successful at blocking more than 99.9% of the emails from reaching their users. With this said, the emails are still around and increased significantly. In fact, several cyber security companies are currently looking into this and report that they’ve seen a 667% increase in phishing emails since the pandemic started.

Exploitation of Legitimate Fears and Concerns

Fraudulent emails could be from anywhere. There are some that are pretending to be from the UK government, some from those who are pretending to be from the CDC or Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, some that claim to be from specific politicians or world leaders, and some that claim to be from the World Health Organization. A rule of thumb for ignoring such emails is that if you are not signed up for an email service from a specific sender, then it is unlikely that they would have your contact details to send you emails.

No matter how important an email sounds like, if it is asking you to provide personal information, to download something on your device, or to log-in at an app or a website that you haven’t heard of, simply report the email as fraud and do not open any links on it. Remember that cyber criminals are banking on confusion, fear, and other emotional responses to try to get people to do what they want when they are most vulnerable.

Have you provided your information to a possible phishing email or downloaded a fake COVID-19 tracker app? Contact us today.

Spotting Phishing Scams Related to COVID-19

Not even an economy-stopping pandemic will stop fraudsters. As more nations feel the grip of the increasing health crisis, scammers are taking full advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to send fake emails to people tricking hapless victims into clicking on malicious links or attachments and revealing their personal information.

COVID-19 Cyber Security Scam Alert

A COVID-19 phishing email looks like a normal email complete with authentic-looking logos and branding. They often use the World Health Organization’s branding or logos or use the same from other public or government health agencies. Know that phishing is not limited to email, as some fraudsters resort to calling Canadian homes with offers of fake laboratory testing or fraudulent requests for donations.

How to Avoid a COVID-19 Scam

Scammers will send emails that will attempt to get your personal information or install malware into your mobile device or computer. Some will look like a donation link designed to capture your credit card information. Take the following steps to avoid becoming a victim.

• Practice skepticism. No matter how authentic looking an email may be, try to be more skeptic and nitpick details in the email. If the email contains email addresses, toll-free numbers, or website links, you can double check by using a known email address, website, or email of the organization to avoid clicking on fake links and contacting the scammers directly. If you want to verify some information, know that the right information will be posted on your provincial health agency’s website or the Public Health Agency of Canada website.
• Always check the email address of the sender. Phishing emails use sender addresses or names that may look like the real thing, but if you hover on the sender’s name, the actual email doesn’t match the sender at all.
• Avoid clicking on attachments or links. Embedded links in phishing emails seem valid, but the address it links to is definitely not. If the link address seems suspicious or does not seem connected to the highlighted text, there is a big possibility that it is a phishing email. If there are any attachments that aren’t expected or seem out of place, it might be infected with malware.
• Be more vigilant. If an email is requesting for your financial information or personal data, that may be fake.
• Make sure that your devices are protected. Installing anti-spam, anti-malware, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software can seem like being too cautious but you’ll be happy that you have them for protection in case of a possible attack.

What to do with a Phishing Email

You can’t avoid receiving phishing emails because they are everywhere. What you can do is either report them or delete/block them. You can report the email to the organization being spoofed so that they can issue the necessary warnings for other people. By blocking or deleting the email, you can save yourself some wasted time and headache down the road.

Aside from checking the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for a compiled list of COVID-19 scams, you can stay tuned in this blog for more news on COVID-19 fraud. You can also check the government of Canada approved information regarding COVID-19 at https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html. 

Do This If Charged with Possession of Cannabis in Canada

Canada has restrictions in place when it comes to the possession of Cannabis in the form of the Cannabis Act. This act governs the legal parameters for the control of the manufacture, distribution, sales, and possession of Cannabis within Canada. According to the Cannabis act, the following are the goals of this legal framework in Canada:

•         Make Cannabis inaccessible to the youth
•         Make sure that proceeds from Cannabis are kept out of the pockets of criminals
•         Give adults legal access to Cannabis in the interest of public health

With the above said, it is clear that Cannabis is legal in Canada provided that its manufacturing, distribution, sales, and possession follow the restrictions in place.

Legality of Cannabis Possession in Canada

Adults who are above 18 years of age are legally allowed to possess up to 30 grams of Cannabis in dried form (or the equivalent amount in non-dried form) as of the 17^th of October 2018. Up to 30 grams of Cannabis can also be shared with other adults.

If someone needs fresh or dried Cannabis but a Canadian province does not have a regulated framework, purchase can be made from a federally-licensed online retailer. Additionally, residents can grow up to 4 Cannabis plants per household as long as the plants are from licensed seeds and for personal use. Those who want to turn Cannabis into food and drink products can do so as long as solvent products were not used to create concentrated forms of the product.

What to Do if Charged with Possession of Cannabis?

It is legal to possess Cannabis in Canada provided that it does not exceed the allowable amounts and its equivalent according to the form of the plant. Legal trouble may ensue if usage, amount, or transport does not follow the provisions stated in the Cannabis Act.

If you or someone you know has been charged any Cannabis-related offence, it is best to consult a lawyer as soon as possible. Calvin Barry is a Toronto lawyer experienced with defending charges of possession of Cannabis. Contact Calvin Barry today to know your legal options. Calvin Barry will help you formulate a defence as soon as possible to avoid the life-long consequences of more legal missteps.

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