Behind the Decision: A Practical Guide to Bail Hearings 2025

Product Type: Course

This course has no current sessions.

DescriptionMore DetailAgenda

Understanding the critical role of bail in criminal proceedings

—Rebroadcasts—
On the rebroadcast date, you will have until midnight of that rebroadcast date to access the course. Please note that technical support will be available during regular CLEBC business hours.

Last Kick at the Can Series 2025
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Friday, December 19, 2025

(Original webinar date: June 12, 2025)

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Who should attend: Criminal law practitioners, both Crown counsel and defence counsel

Learning level: All levels

Bail isn't just a preliminary step—it can shape the entire trajectory of a criminal case. This full-day course offers a clear and practical overview of Judicial Interim Release, focusing on the conceptual and legal framework under s. 515 of the Criminal Code.

Designed for those looking to deepen their understanding of bail, this session will walk through foundational principles, key precedents, and the latest case law developments. You'll gain insights into how bail decisions are made and how they influence case outcomes.

Taught by members of the Bench and experienced Crown and defence counsel, this course combines legal knowledge with real-world strategies to help you navigate the complex considerations surrounding release and detention.

Law Society of BC CPD Hours: 6 hours (this course will contain a minimum of 1 hour pertaining to professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management)

Course Chairs
Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam
Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

*Last Kick at the Can 2025*
Rebroadcast	$579
Rebroadcast Articled Student	$289

Are you a member of the Indigenous legal community (lawyer/Articled Student/legal support staff/paralegal) or a non-lawyer Indigenous community member?
We value your contributions and encourage your participation in all of our programs. To increase accessibility, we offer a 50% discount* to all Indigenous lawyers/Articled Students/legal support staff/paralegals and a limited number of free online registrations to non-lawyer Indigenous community members. (*discount applies to Regular prices, not Early Bird prices). Please contact Customer Service to find out more.

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Registration includes an electronic copy of the reference materials.

CLEBC Program Lawyer*
Raymond Lee
rlee@cle.bc.ca
*non-practising

Course Chairs
Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam
Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Jamala MacRae works as a Crown Counsel and has been with the BC Prosecution Service since 2005. She has worked in a number of Crown offices in the lower mainland and is currently one of the Administrative Crowns in the Port Coquitlam office. She has dealt with files at the provincial and supreme court level.

Kevin Westell is a founding principal at Pender Litigation. In addition to his criminal and regulatory defence work, he is often retained to act as Crown Counsel, counsel for witnesses in criminal proceedings, and as amicus curiae (counsel for the Court). He has represented clients and the Crown in jurisdictions across Canada on matters of all levels of seriousness.

Kevin currently serves as an elected Bencher of the Law Society of BC for Vancouver County and a former chair of the CBA National Criminal Justice Section.

Faculty
Judge Rita S. Bowry — Regional Administrative Judge, Fraser Region, Provincial Court of BC, Surrey
Judge Kasandra Cronin — Provincial Court of BC, Port Coquitlam
Judge Mark R. Jette — Provincial Court of BC, Surrey
Judge Gregory Koturbash — Regional Administrative Judge, Interior Region, Provincial Court of BC, Penticton
Judge Cassandra Malfair — Provincial Court of BC, Prince George
Judge Jacqueline McQueen — Provincial Court of BC, Vancouver
Judge Grace Oh — Provincial Court of BC, Surrey
Justice Terence Schultes — Supreme Court of BC, New Westminster
Jordan Allingham — Ferguson Allingham, Vancouver
Amy Campbell — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Stephanie Dickson — Pender Litigation, Vancouver
Michaela E. Donnelly, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Sarah E. Leamon — Sarah Leamon Law Group, Vancouver
Trevor B. Martin — Martland & Saulnier, Vancouver
James Powrie — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam
Christina Proteau — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Alberni
Nicholas M.D. Reithmeier — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, New Westminster
Alexander M. Willms — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Scott Wright — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:05)

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam
Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

How to Run a Great Bail Hearing (9:05 – 9:55)

Judge Kasandra Cronin — Provincial Court of BC, Port Coquitlam
Jordan Allingham — Ferguson Allingham, Vancouver

Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam

BREAK (9:55 – 10:00)

Rules of Evidence (10:00 – 10:50)

Judge Rita S. Bowry — Regional Administrative Judge, Fraser Region, Provincial Court of BC, Surrey

Sarah E. Leamon — Sarah Leamon Law Group, Vancouver
James Powrie — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam

BREAK (10:50 – 10:55)

Mental Health/Gladue (10:55 – 11:45)

Judge Gregory Koturbash — Regional Administrative Judge, Interior Region, Provincial Court of BC, Penticton

Stephanie Dickson — Pender Litigation, Vancouver
Michaela E. Donnelly, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Christina Proteau — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Alberni

BREAK (11:45 – 11:50)

Young Persons (11:50 – 12:40)

Judge Jacqueline McQueen — Provincial Court of BC, Vancouver

Amy Campbell — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Trevor B. Martin — Martland & Saulnier, Vancouver

LUNCH (12:40 – 1:15)

Bail Reviews (1:15 – 2:05)

Moderator: Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

Nicholas M.D. Reithmeier — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, New Westminster
Scott Wright — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

BREAK (2:05 – 2:10)

Tertiary Ground (2:10 – 3:00)

Judge Grace Oh — Provincial Court of BC, Surrey

Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

Alexander M. Willms — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver

BREAK (3:00 – 3:10)

View from the Bench (3:10 – 4:10)

Moderator: Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam

Judge Mark R. Jette — Provincial Court of BC, Surrey
Judge Cassandra Malfair — Provincial Court of BC, Prince George
Justice Terence Schultes — Supreme Court of BC, New Westminster

Closing Remarks (4:10 – 4:15)

Jamala C. MacRae — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Port Coquitlam
Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver

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Behind the Decision: A Practical Guide to Bail Hearings 2025

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