EP#227 | Judge Cross-Examines Accused, Conviction Overturned
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Can a trial judge cross-examine an accused? A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision raises that question in dramatic fashion.
In Episode 227 of Not On Record, Joseph Neuberger, Michael Bury and Noriana discuss a 2026 Ontario Court of Appeal decision in which a sexual assault conviction was overturned because the trial judge’s conduct created a reasonable apprehension of bias.
The judge questioned the accused extensively after the Crown had already completed its cross-examination, with seven pages of transcript devoted to the judge’s questioning. The Court of Appeal found that the questions went far beyond simple clarification and amounted to cross-examination. Even more significantly, the trial judge relied on evidence that emerged from her own questioning when assessing the accused’s credibility and reliability.
The episode examines the limits of judicial intervention, reasonable apprehension of bias, the importance of an impartial trial, delayed allegations, credibility assessments, memory, and what defence counsel can do when they believe a judge has crossed the line.
The case is a fascinating reminder that justice must not only be done, but must also appear to be done.
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Joseph, Michael and Diana discuss the meaty legal breakdown of His Majesty the King v. J.W., 2025 ONCA 637. They unpack how the Ontario Court of Appeal treats myths and stereotypes in sexual-assault cases, especially delay in reporting and continued association, what’s permissible to argue, and how to ground inferences without crossing into prohibited reasoning. Expect a practical tour of jury charges, prior consistent statements (and their limits), strategic tips for defence counsel, and why careful, collaborative charge-crafting matters on appeal.
R. v. J.W., 2025 ONCA 637 - https://canlii.ca/t/kfdtw
Sponsored by EasyDNS https://easydns.com/NotOnRecord Joseph, Michael and Diana discuss the meaty legal breakdown of His Majesty the King v. J.W., 2025 ONCA 637. They unpack how the Ontario Court of Appeal treats myths and stereotypes in sexual-assault cases, especially delay in reporting and continued association, what’s permissible to argue, and how to ground inferences without crossing into prohibited reasoning. Expect a practical tour of jury charges, prior consistent statements (and their limits), strategic tips for defence counsel, and why careful, collaborative charge-crafting matters on appeal. R. v. J.W., 2025 ONCA 637 - https://canlii.ca/t/kfdtw 🔹Short Description: 🏒Pop culture to case law: Episode 185 breaks down ONCA 2025 J.W. delay in reporting, continued association, jury instructions, and prior consistent statements. ⚖📢🎙 📝Meta Description: Discover Episode 185 of Not On Record: We dissect ONCA’s 2025 J.W. decision—myths/stereotypes, timing of ...
