Sarah Leamon - Criminal Defence Lawyer

08/30/2022

My column in the Georgia Straight this week has gone viral. Check it out to learn what I propose as (at least a partial) solution to the crisis currently facing Vancouver.

Has the time come for Vancouver to consider an approach like Norway's for addressing addiction and homelessness?

04/29/2022

Is it almost the end for many mandatory minimum sentences in Canada? I sure hope so! Find out why by checking out my latest column in The Georgia Straight!

These legislative dictates have been scorned and rebuffed at various levels of the judiciary—and for good reason.

02/17/2022

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is currently reviewing the criminal laws around s*x work that exist here in Canada. This isn't the first time that our government has heard evidence on the topic, though...so will anything change this time around? Or is it just more lip service?

Read my column in The Georgia Straight to learn more.

A Vancouver lawyer thinks a former Conservative government introduced the “Nordic Model” in the absence of evidence supporting this.

01/15/2022

"On top of being potentially illegal, fining the willfully unvaccinated is also morally repugnant. And it is particularly repugnant from a distinctly Canadian point of view."

To hear my reasons why I think that issuing fines to unvaccinated people is immoral and illegal, read my latest column in the Georgia Straight!

A Vancouver lawyer explains why she thinks Quebec premier François Legault has gone too far.

08/09/2021

How can we improve access to justice while also unburdening our court systems AND making roads safer? It sounds impossible...but the solution might be right in front of our eyes.

Check out my latest article in The Georgia Straight to learn more!

A Vancouver lawyer thinks that by embracing restorative justice, the province could persuade more dangerous drivers to embrace road safety.

04/07/2021

There has been a troubling increase in the number of women who have come forward recently, reporting being followed by menacing strangers in public streets. But what can be done?

To learn more about how authorities could potentially prosecute people for so-called stalking offences, check out my latest articled in The Georgia Straight.

In the vast majority of cases, the harassers are men and the victims are women.

03/24/2021

When can following someone turn criminal?

I weighed in with CTV News today in relation to some disturbing video footage, recently captured by a young woman in Vancouver's Downtown East Side.

Click the link to learn more and what legal options may be available to prosecute this individual, should he be identified.

Video of a man following Jamie Coutts in Vancouver's Chinatown neighbourhood has hit a nerve with other women in the city, who are recalling their own experiences of being trailed by suspicious strangers. But will the alarming incident lead to criminal charges?

02/23/2021

Do you have questions about COVID-19 laws in B.C.? If so, look no further than my latest article with The Georgia Straight where I break down what constitutes an offence and what doesn't. Check it out!

It’s been nearly a year since a state of emergency was first declared in British Columbia in response to the pandemic.

02/04/2021

I've had quite a few people approach me with questions about the governments newest travel restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out my article in The Georgia Straight to learn more!

Vancouver lawyer Sarah Leamon says that ultimately, a court would have to rule on the constitutionality of the government's rules regarding hotel quarantines.

01/29/2021