Pub ban should be choice of alleged victims: Gadhia

It should be up to the alleged victims of sexual assault whether they want their names made public at trial, Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia says after some of the 21 women assaulted by anesthesiologist George Doodnaught came forward publicly. A judge recently granted permission to lift the publication ban on the identity of a […]

Judge orders new pre-sentence report

A sentencing judge made the right decision ordering a new pre-sentence report in the case of a convicted murderer waiting to hear how long he must spend behind bars before seeking parole, Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia says in the Globe and Mail. “The probation officer did not make the effort to contact available sources,” […]

Proving Ford acted criminally requires evidence in court

In order to prove that Mayor Rob Ford broke the law in connection with his drug and alcohol use would require evidence of the date and time that the offences took place, Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia tells SiriusXM radio’s What She Said!. “It’s not possible to prove a charge in court unless Mr. Ford […]

Judge’s racial profiling finding took courage: Gadhia

By AdvocateDaily.com Staff It’s shocking that there have been so few judicial findings of racial profiling by police which undersells the long-argued problem, says Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia. “The fact that so few of these cases have been explicitly argued is astounding and it’s troubling that so few have been successful,” Gadhia tells AdvocateDaily.com. […]

Prevention strategy needed for bullied youth

A national anti-bullying prevention strategy is needed to educate young people of the lasting damage words and actions can have on a young person, says Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia. Gadhia’s comments are in response to a case of cyber bullying that may have pushed B.C. teenager Amanda Todd to take her own life. On […]

Jury can’t reach verdict in infant beating trial allegations

Jurors in a trial of a man charged with beating his seven-week-old child couldn’t reach a verdict on three of four counts after 36-hours of deliberating, says Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia. Toronto Sun Gadhia, who represented 23-year-old John Rosa during the four-week trial, says the jury was hung on charges of aggravated assault and […]

Preparation ‘best defence’ against sexist attitudes

By AdvocateDaily.com Staff Young female lawyers need to know that there are role models within the profession that they can look up to and turn to for support, encouragement or advice, Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia tells The Lawyers Weekly. Although finding a work-life balance is difficult for women in many professions, Gadhia explains that […]

Legal aid cuts an attack on ‘the socially disenfranchised’

By Paul Russell, AdvocateDaily.com Contributor Provincial funding reductions for Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will limit access to justice and significantly worsen court delays for those who rely on the non-profit corporation, says Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia. “This is an attack on the poorest in our community, the socially disenfranchised who cannot afford to hire […]

Preliminary inquiries ‘grease the wheels of justice’ and serve key purpose

By Jennifer Pritchett, Associate Editor The preliminary hearing process cannot be underestimated; its value is significant in assessing the evidence before wasting considerable court resources on a trial, says Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia. “When people are called to the stand to testify, both the Crown and the defence are assessing that witness’s evidence — […]

New citizen’s arrest law still has problems

Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia predicts the new law that expands citizen’s arrest powers will create more problems than it will solve. “It is not well thought-out; this is not going to turn out well,” says Gadhia of the law that also is said to streamline self-defence provisions. Bill C-26: The Citizen’s Arrest and Self-Defence […]

Pre-charge screening and the court backlog: Gadhia

By Jennifer Pritchett, Associate Editor A new report highlighting that nearly half of all criminal charges in Ontario are withdrawn or tossed before trial — a higher rate than anywhere in Canada — points to a need for systematic change, Toronto criminal lawyer Roots Gadhia says. “I don’t know if the resources are being put […]

New process for selection of Supreme Court justices

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the Liberal government will change the manner in which a Supreme Court justice is selected. As part of the new process, Trudeau says former prime minister Kim Campbell will chair a new “independent and non-partisan advisory board” to recommend candidates for the high court. In a […]