Stay current with recent decisions that impact Canadian criminal law. We provide short summaries and links to CanLII or SCC judgments so you can quickly explore the rulings that matter.

R. v. Di Paola 2025 SCC 31

In R. v. Di Paola, the Supreme Court of Canada held that under s. 725(1)(c) of the Criminal Code a sentencing judge may consider as aggravating factors any facts that form part of the circumstances of the offence — even if those facts relate to a separate charge that was laid and later withdrawn. The Crown must act fairly by giving timely notice of its intention to rely on such facts so the accused can respond. In the case at hand, a construction contractor had pleaded guilty to a lesser offence after more serious charges were dropped, and the Court restored the original sentence of 15 months’ conditional imprisonment after concluding that the additional facts were properly considered.