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Criminal law — Charge to jury — Included offences — Air of reality

Criminal law — Jurors — Deliberations — Jury aids

(00:00:22) Summary

(00:03:06) Held (Karakatsanis and Martin JJ. dissenting on the appeal)

(00:03:13) Per Wagner C.J. and Côté, Rowe, Kasirer, Jamal, O’Bonsawin and Moreau JJ.

(00:13:19) Per Karakatsanis and Martin JJ. (dissenting on the appeal)

(00:18:02) Reasons for Judgment: Wagner C.J. (Côté, Rowe, Kasirer, Jamal, O’Bonsawin and Moreau JJ. concurring)

(00:18:13) I. Overview – 1

(00:21:03) II. Evidence at Trial – 7

(00:25:44) III. Judicial History – 18

(00:25:46) A. Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Boswell J.) – 18

(00:28:17) B. Court of Appeal for Ontario, 2023 ONCA 362, 427 C.C.C. (3d) 4 (van Rensburg, Miller and Nordheimer JJ.A.) – 24

(00:29:10) IV. Grounds of Appeal – 26

(00:30:24) V. Analysis – 28

(00:30:26) A. The Crown’s Appeal – 28

(00:30:29) (1) Background and Decisions Below – 28

(00:34:34) (2) Standard of Review – 35

(00:37:59) (3) Principles Governing the Air of Reality Test for Included Offences – 41

(00:38:42) (a) Competing Considerations in the Air of Reality Test for Included Offences – 42

(00:41:45) (b) Air of Reality Test for Included Offences – 49

(00:43:09) (c) The Application of the Test Is Contextual – 52

(00:50:08) (d) Evidentiary Threshold and “Limited Weighing” – 63

(00:55:21) (4) Application to the Facts – 71

(01:02:39) (5) Curative Proviso – 84

(01:06:49) B. Cross-Appeals – 94

(01:06:52) (1) Should a New Trial Be Ordered for the Attempted Murder Count Given the Order for a New Trial for First Degree Murder? – 94

(01:06:58) (a) Background and Decisions Below – 94

(01:09:15) (b) Principles Governing New Trials for Associated Counts – 98

(01:18:43) (c) Application to the Facts – 113

(01:20:18) (2) Did the Trial Judge Err in Permitting the Crown Slide Show to Go to the Jury Room? – 116

(01:21:03) (a) Background and Decisions Below – 117

(01:23:32) (b) Defining Jury Aids – 121

(01:25:26) (c) Framework for Permitting the Use of Jury Aids in the Jury Room – 125

(01:32:37) (d) Application to the Facts – 138

(01:37:53) (3) Did the Trial Judge Err in His Approach to the Juror Bias Issues? – 147

(01:42:42) (4) Did the Trial Judge Err in His Instruction on the Propensity Evidence? – 156

(01:46:28) VI. Disposition – 163

(01:46:34) Reasons Dissenting in Part: Karakatsanis J. (Martin J. concurring)

(01:46:41) I. Overview – 164

(01:50:42) II. Instructing a Jury on Lesser Included Offences – 172

(01:50:46) A. The “Air of Reality” Test in the Context of Lesser Included Offences – 172

(01:58:32) B. The Standard of Review for Assessing an Air of Reality – 183

(02:01:46) III. Application – 189

(02:14:56) IV. Conclusion – 204