Adam Rodgers2022-12-29T14:42:24+00:00

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Adam Rodgers is a ground breaking inquiry, litigation and criminal defense lawyer as well as a leading business and political advisor.

Latest Videos

NS Fall Sitting, Cameron Ortis Trial, Spousal Voyeurism, MP's Want New RCMP, Dr. Fashoranti Appeal

Adam Rodgers - Nova Scotia Lawyer 167 views November 12, 2023 7:52 pm

First, a look at the big political story of the week - the government announcing a carve out of the new carbon tax for those heating with oil. This announcement has been criticized from all sides, and may be the biggest political blunder of this government. Notably, it appears to have been spearheaded by the NS MP's, lead by Atlantic Caucus Chair, Kody Blois, who briefly practiced law before being elected.
Other national stories I discuss include the recommendation that responsibility for correctional services for Indigenous offenders be devolved to those communities, as overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in federal prisons has climbed again in the last ten years from 25% to 32%. I also review the Foreign Interference Inquiry, which is going to look into interference into the 2019 and 2021 elections.
In Nova Scotia legal news, William Sandeson has been denied bail by our Court of Appeal, new Judge Bronwyn Duffy was critical of police for not ensuring there was strong identification evidence in an prowling/arson trial, and Judge Del Atwood assisted a self represented accused on a resisting arrest charge.
Finally, I review the tragic death of Hollie Boland this week in Cole Harbour, and the questions it raises about the bail system in Nova Scotia. The questions are fair, though I am concerned with some of the comments coming from the President of the Crown Prosecutors Association of NS about the incident, and discuss why.

First, a look at the big political story of the week - the government announcing a carve out of the new carbon tax for those heating with oil. This announcement has been criticized from all sides, and may be the biggest political blunder of this government. Notably, it appears to have been spearheaded by the NS MP's, lead by Atlantic Caucus Chair, Kody Blois, who briefly practiced law before being elected.
Other national stories I discuss include the recommendation that responsibility for correctional services for Indigenous offenders be devolved to those communities, as overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in federal prisons has climbed again in the last ten years from 25% to 32%. I also review the Foreign Interference Inquiry, which is going to look into interference into the 2019 and 2021 elections.
In Nova Scotia legal news, William Sandeson has been denied bail by our Court of Appeal, new Judge Bronwyn Duffy was critical of police for not ensuring there was strong identification evidence in an prowling/arson trial, and Judge Del Atwood assisted a self represented accused on a resisting arrest charge.
Finally, I review the tragic death of Hollie Boland this week in Cole Harbour, and the questions it raises about the bail system in Nova Scotia. The questions are fair, though I am concerned with some of the comments coming from the President of the Crown Prosecutors Association of NS about the incident, and discuss why.

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YouTube Video VVVjMGxmdnFpNHMzWk9wNmY1QzQtWkVRLlFLQmp0ZDJYRTIw

Carbon Tax Blunder, Indigenous Jails, Election Inquiry, ID'ing Suspects, NS Bail System Under Fire

Adam Rodgers - Nova Scotia Lawyer 279 views November 3, 2023 9:39 pm

This week in NS and Canadian law, there were reviews announced, reports released, new judges named, and a progress monitoring committee meeting. 
The two new NS Provincial Court judges are Alonzo Wright and Mark Heerema. Judge Wright was most recently the Director of the Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates potential misbehaviour among police officers in NS. He was new to that position, and now SIRT is in the hands of an interim Director. Judge Heerema was a Provincial Prosecutor, who had recently been defending the government's secretive approach to releasing information on the NS mass shooting.
The Mass Casualty Commission Progress Monitoring Committee met this week, and released very little information afterwards. It has now been six months since the release of the MCC final report, and few (if any) of the recommendations have been implemented.
One recommendation had been to conduct a review of policing in NS. The government announced this week that there would be a review, with the report expected in about a year and a half from now, just before the next election. The same timing is applicable to the other review announced this week, that of the Freedom of Information system in NS.
There was news out of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, where the fire chief, Michael Seth, resigned. It was then revealed that Chief Seth had made a harrassment complaint against four councilors regarding comments made about changes to celebrations planned for July 1st. A report from an employment lawyer found that harassment had taken place. I take a critical view of that report.
Finally, the Saskatchewan Supreme Court has granted an injunction against the government implementing an education policy aimed at ensuring parental consent before any student under age 16 can use their choice of pronouns or names in school. Premier Moe has indicated the government will use the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to ensure the policy is followed. I examine the decision, and predict how the issue will play out in courts and legislatures in the months to come.

This week in NS and Canadian law, there were reviews announced, reports released, new judges named, and a progress monitoring committee meeting.
The two new NS Provincial Court judges are Alonzo Wright and Mark Heerema. Judge Wright was most recently the Director of the Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates potential misbehaviour among police officers in NS. He was new to that position, and now SIRT is in the hands of an interim Director. Judge Heerema was a Provincial Prosecutor, who had recently been defending the government's secretive approach to releasing information on the NS mass shooting.
The Mass Casualty Commission Progress Monitoring Committee met this week, and released very little information afterwards. It has now been six months since the release of the MCC final report, and few (if any) of the recommendations have been implemented.
One recommendation had been to conduct a review of policing in NS. The government announced this week that there would be a review, with the report expected in about a year and a half from now, just before the next election. The same timing is applicable to the other review announced this week, that of the Freedom of Information system in NS.
There was news out of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, where the fire chief, Michael Seth, resigned. It was then revealed that Chief Seth had made a harrassment complaint against four councilors regarding comments made about changes to celebrations planned for July 1st. A report from an employment lawyer found that harassment had taken place. I take a critical view of that report.
Finally, the Saskatchewan Supreme Court has granted an injunction against the government implementing an education policy aimed at ensuring parental consent before any student under age 16 can use their choice of pronouns or names in school. Premier Moe has indicated the government will use the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to ensure the policy is followed. I examine the decision, and predict how the issue will play out in courts and legislatures in the months to come.

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YouTube Video VVVjMGxmdnFpNHMzWk9wNmY1QzQtWkVRLnhsalRzczhXeTBr

NS Policing + FOI Reviews, CBRM Fire Chief Complaint, Injunction on Sask. Parental Consent Policy

Adam Rodgers - Nova Scotia Lawyer 167 views October 1, 2023 6:41 pm

Latest Blogs

MCC Day 55 – Cross Examination of Superintendent Campbell and Lisa Banfield’s Charges Withdrawn

After providing his direct testimony yesterday, Superintendent Darren Campbell was cross examined by lawyers for the participants today. Sup. Campbell was the third ranking RCMP officer in Nova Scotia at the time of the April 18-19, 2020 mass shooting, and is the first of the senior ranking RCMP officers to testify at the Mass Casualty Commission. Before Sup. Campbell’s testimony began, [...]

MCC Day 54 – Sup Darren Campbell Testifies and Senior RCMP Officers Point Fingers

It was a busy day for those following the analysis of actions of senior RCMP officers during the events of the mass shooting of April 18-19, 2020 and the press conferences which were held in the aftermath. Superintendent Darren Campbell, who was the third ranking officer in NS at the time of the mass shooting, was testifying in Halifax in the [...]

MCC Day 53 – Using Forensic Psychology to Assess the Killer

In the aftermath of the April 18-19, 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, the RCMP prepared what they called a “psychological autopsy” of Gabriel Wortman. This document has not been published by the Mass Casualty Commission, but the MCC has published reports from two experts in the field which analyzed the RCMP report. Those two experts testified on Friday. The authors are [...]

MCC Day 52 – Panel on Personal and Community Responses to IPV, GBV, and Family Violence

The MCC today featured a panel discussion on “IPV, GBV and Family Violence: Personal and Community Responses”, and featured Pamela Cross, Legal Director, Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre, Dr. Deborah Doherty, former Executive Director of the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick, Emma Halpern, Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland NS, Professor Janet Mosher from Osgoode Hall [...]

MCC Day 51 – Police and Institutional Understanding and Responses to Intimate Partner and Family Violence

The Mass Casualty Commission continued its focus on the various contextual elements of domestic, intimate partner, and family violence today with two further panel discussions. These represented the seventh and eighth sessions of the MCC which have focused on these topics, each of which provided ‘context’ rather than specific analysis of the April 18-19, 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. In her [...]

MCC Day 50 – Perpetrator Financial Misdealings and RCMP Officer Misrememberings

The Mass Casualty Commission took a welcome break from academic discussion panels today to explore evidence about the finances of the killer, and to hear from an RCMP officer who dealt with the complaint from Brenda Forbes, which she described in her evidence last week. The financial misdealings Foundational Document gave a window into the degree of illegal activity in which [...]

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