ALG’s William Thompson is quoted in a November 16, 2020 article in the Lawyer’s Daily. Bill provided commentary on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in R. v. J.A., 2020 ONCA 695. J.A. is the first full-panel decision of the Court to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the bail analysis. In his comments, Bill suggested that courts should consider the psychological impacts of the pandemic on people in custody in addition to the physical risks of infection. Bill noted that detention during a pandemic is “much more difficult both psychologically on the people who are detained, and also in terms of trial fairness considerations around how they are able to prepare a defence.”
Bill is the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section and is frequently asked to comment on criminal law matters in the media.