This Year's Series

The 2026-2027 program, our 17th year in the Series, will continue our exploration of issues and concerns in Canada’s criminal justice system.

Kent Roach
October 18,2026 @ 12:30
Author, Professor of Law, University of Toronto and Co-founder of the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions.
Wrongful Convictions - Justice for Some

Kent Roach, author of Justice for Some: A Comparative Study of Miscarriages of Justice and Wrongful Convictions (2026), will speak about wrongful convictions in Canada and internationally, including England, the United States and China.  As co-founder of the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions, Kent Roach brings insights from nearly 100 remedied cases in Canada.  He will discuss the role of racism and discriminatory stereotypes in miscarriages of justice, as well as the potential impact of Canada’s new Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission.

Nicole M. Myers & Gerald Chan
November 22, 2026 @ 12:30
N Meyers - Criminologist and Associate Professor of Sociology - Queen’s University and G Chan - Criminal Defence Lawyer - Stockwoods LLP
The Canadian Bail System: A Conversation

In recent years, the bail system has become a political scapegoat for public concern over crime.  How much of this focus on bail is grounded in reality ? Does tightening bail increase public safety ?  How far can a free and democratic society go in attempting to manage risk ?

Professor Nicole Myers, noted expert on pre-trial detention, and defence counsel Gerald Chan will engage in conversation about Canada’s bail system, placing it in the broader context of the Charter, Canada’s criminal justice system, and what we know from the evidence and practical experience.

Sheilah Martin
January 17, 2027 @12:30
Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Independence of the Judiciary - The Reputation and Integrity of the Administration of Justice

We are honoured to hear reflections from The Honourable Sheilah Martin who served on the Supreme Court of Canada from November 2017 to 2026, the Court of Appeal of Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut from 2016 to 2017 and the Court of the Queen’s Bench for Alberta from 2005 to 2016. Justice Martin followed a diverse and distinguished career as a law professor, Dean of Law and practitioner in corporate, commercial, torts, criminal and constitutional law appearing in all levels of the courts.

Megan Savard
February 21, 2027 @ 12:30
Partner, Savards LLP.
Why I Defend: Abolition, Restoration and Criminal Defence
Megan Savard is the founding partner of Savards LLP, a criminal defence firm based in Toronto. She regularly defends clients in serious and high profile cases. Megan is a prison abolitionist, rooting her work in the belief that no one deserves to be incarcerated.  She will explore how restorative models of criminal justice can prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration over pain and punishment, resulting in a safer society for all.
Ian Scott
April 4,2027 @ 12:30
Former Director of Ontario’s Special Investigation Unit and author of Issues in Civilian Oversight of Policing in Canada (2014)
Who Guards the Guards ? Investigating Police Officers for Serious Misconduct

”Project South - Seven Toronto Officers Charged in Corruption Scandal”, “Officers Charged with Sexual Assault”, “Zameer Aquitted and then Vilified in Death of Police Officer”.  Almost everyday, headlines such as these appear in our media feeds, rocking the public’s confidence in policing in Toronto.  How systemic are those allegations of corruption and abuse of authority in the county’s largest municipal police service ?  How should we respond ? 

Scott will discuss the state of police oversight, comment upon its efficacy in the face of these recent revelations, and suggest ways that it could be improved.