Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan

We started by discussing a captivating case from Central Saanich, a family farm at the center of a contentious legal dispute over tree protection bylaws. As we delved deeper into the case, we questioned the extent of the Community Charter's power on municipalities and whether farming should be classified as 'development'. Understanding the limitations and restrictions of tree protec...

Ever wondered about the potential pitfalls of inadequate paperwork and the enforceability of oral agreements? Well, buckle up! We've got Michael Mulligan, a seasoned Barrister and Solicitor, guiding us through some intriguing legal scenarios that just might make you rethink your decisions. We unpack a fiery dispute between two brothers over their mother's estate, a testament to the impor...

We start the episode by discussing the federal government's attempt to ban various plastic items. The ban was met with constitutional challenges from the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition and two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The federal government tried to classify plastic as 'toxic', a categorization that was deemed unreasonable by the judge due to lack of evidence. Further...

In our recent podcast episode, we delved deep into the complexities of the British Columbia (BC) Constitution Act, focusing on the potential reasons a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) could forfeit their seat. These reasons can range from absenteeism and allegiance to foreign powers to dual citizenship and serious criminal convictions. The subject has become a hot topic following recent up...

In British Columbia, the Crown Counsel Association negotiates wages, salary hours or work, and working conditions for Crown Counsel. In 2018, the BC government decided to have Crown Counsel, rather than the police, conduct bail hearings at night and on weekends. Rather than negotiating with the Crown Counsel Association, the BC government made a unilateral decision to have Crown Counsel work eveni...

Many professions such as doctors, engineers, and architects are regulated to ensure that people providing services to the public are properly trained and competent to practice. The need for this is clear: you want to ensure people receive good medical care and the buildings and bridges don't fall down. The regulation of lawyers has this objective as well: you want to know that you're get...

Get ready to plunge into the riveting world of legal complexities as we welcome Michael Mulligan, a seasoned barrister and Solicitor, to our podcast. Packed with insights and thought-provoking perspectives, we'll unravel the collateral consequences of committing an offence and the intricate aspects of third-party records in criminal cases. Mulligan guides us through the maze of evidence colle...

Who says law and property rights can't be riveting? Brace for a legal deep dive unravelling the complexities of the Short Term Rental Accommodations Act in British Columbia. It's not every day you get to compare it to governmental property seizure, but we dare to tread those intriguing waters. We pick apart the legal precedents for compensation in cases where the government appropriates...

Join us this week where we'll be opening the vault of Canada's legislative past with legal expert Michael Mulligan. Trust us, you won't want to miss this deep dive into the controversial British Columbia Heroin Treatment Act of 1979. Together, we'll unravel the context of the Opioid Crisis of the late 70s and today, investigating the eerily similar circumstances and sobering st...

Do you feel like you’re reading a different language when you look at legal documents? You’re not alone. We’ve brought in legal expert Michael Mulligan to decipher Bill 34, the Restricting Public Consumption of the Legal Substances Act, and it’s not what you’d expect. This piece of legislation doesn't public drug use anywhere unless someone is first asked to stop by a police officer. Mulligan...

Strap in for a thrilling conversation with Barrister and Solicitor, Michael Mulligan, as we navigate the tricky terrain of family law and indigenous governance. Curious about how the court defines a 'spouse' and how that affects child support? We dissect a case of a former stepfather, compelled to shoulder significant monetary responsibilities for three children, despite the fluctuating...

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan: Before the introduction of mandatory no-fault ICBC insurance in May of 2021, if someone was killed in a motor vehicle accident, the deceased's family could sue the person responsible for the accident to receive compensation for at least the financial loss of a loved one. This typically occurred when the person killed had financially support...

Buckle up for a wild ride as we navigate the intricacies of some fascinating legal cases on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan. He's a barrister and solicitor at Mulligan Defence Lawyers. First up,  a woman, her guinea fowl, and a bylaw that isn’t as black and white as it seems. Discover how this fascinating case hinged on the interpretation of the bylaw and whether guinea fowls are consi...

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan: An analysis of various policy proposals the BC United Party issued concerning the criminal justice system. The proposals include hiring additional police and Crown, ending the decriminalization of drugs, funding body cameras for all police, opening more courts, and pursuing civil claims against people who traffic drugs that cause death.  Follow...

An application to find a union in civil contempt for breaching an injunction against making noise while picketing at three Vancouver Airport Hotels failed because of the wording of the injunction, which only prohibited noise above 75bBA if made by various specified devices. The evidence demonstrated that the noise was above the prohibited threshold but not if it was produced by specifically prohib...

Most criminal offences in Canada involve prohibitions on doing things that would harm others.  It is rare that the criminal law will require someone to do something. An exception to this is the offence of failing to provide the necessities of life. It is a criminal offence for a list of people, including parents, foster parents, and spouses to not provide the necessities of life. It also requires...

What if you found yourself at the receiving end of a judicial system, prosecuted for a fatal accident with no evidence of intoxication, excessive speeding, or aggressive driving? This is the tragic reality for a 21-year-old driver with no history of bad driving or criminal record, facing a heart-wrenching sentencing decision. Join us as we unravel this case with Michael Mulligan,  with Mulligan De...

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the double murder conviction for a  man who insisted on representing himself at trial. He was so disruptive that the trial judge removed him from the courtroom multiple times and then shut off his microphone on the closed video connection he had to the courtroom. The accused in the case would not ask questions of witnesses or make submissions and would, inste...

Starting in 2012, the Gabriola Island Local Trust started a legal effort to have an elderly couple remove a seawall that protects their waterfront property because it was less than 30 meters from the ocean. At a trial of the matter, the Gabriola Island Local Trust lost the case because the judge concluded there was a common-law right to protect property from erosion. The Island Trust didn't l...

The episode begins by discussing the decision to discontinue a prosecution arising from a  Nanaimo business owner who gets shot after trying to retrieve his stolen property from a homeless camp. Crown Counsel has a duty to only approve and proceed with criminal charges where there is a substantial likelihood of conviction.  In the case involving the business owner who was shot while attempting to...

In British Columbia, it's illegal to produce milk and sell it to anyone other than the Milk Marketing Board. The Milk Marketing Board sets wholesale prices, intended to guarantee a profit for milk farmers, and sets quotas for how much milk a farmer can sell. Farmers who produce more milk than their quota can be required to dump it down the drain. As a result of this system, consumers in Briti...

Do you ever wonder what happens when a small claims lawsuit is baseless? Unlike in Supreme Court, judges cannot award costs to the successful party in Small Claims Court. Costs are intended to both cover some of the legal and other expenses related to a court case. They can also encourage the settlement of meritorious claims and discourage needless litigation.  There is, however, a Small Claims Co...

For most of Canada's history, vagrancy was a criminal offence. While the wording of the vagrancy laws changed from time to time. As of 1972, there were two different forms of vagrancy. The first form of vagrancy made it a criminal offence to beg or be found in a public place without apparent means of support. The second form of vagrancy prohibited people convicted of sexual offences from loit...

Do you know the ins and outs of the Residential Tenancy Act? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Barrister and Solicitor Michael Mulligan as we uncover a recent court decision involving changes to BC's residential tenancy legislation and how an elderly landlord diagnosed with cancer almost found himself responsible for paying former tenants $34,180. The elderly landlord had his son...

A man who denied being a human being or being subject to laws turned a wrestling match with RCMP officers into a year in jail for contempt of court following days of nonsense arguments, interruptions, and refusals to behave in court. Find out more as I tackle the case of Rex vs. A Man Known as Cameron Hardy, and explore the bizarre "Free Man on the Land" theory, which suggests that one i...