The 1,000 detentions before and during the G20 Summit protests rate as the biggest legal story of last year, according to Precedent readers.
The June melee topped a poll that included eight major stories. In second place: Justice Susan Himmel’s striking down of prostitution laws in Ontario. The Russell Williams case came in third.
Here are the full results:
What was the biggest legal story of 2010?
- 37.6% Jun 26: Over 1,000 people are detained during the G20 Summit (41 votes)
- 32.1% Sep 28: Justice Susan Himel strikes down prostitution laws in Ontario (35)
- 11% Oct 21: Russell Williams is sentenced to life in prison (12)
- 9.2% May 25: Charges against Michael Bryant are dropped (10)
- 5.5% Oct 31: Omar Khadr is sentenced to eight more years in prison (6)
- 2.8% Nov 22: The jury in the second murder trial of Erika Mendieta is dismissed after Paul Alexander, a Crown prosecutor from the first trial, allegedly makes “distracting faces” while seated in the gallery (3)
- 0.9% Jan 24: The legal aid boycott ends (1)
- 0.9% Jul 21: Conrad Black is released on a $2 million bond (1)
In our new poll, to the right of this post, we ask you to tell us whether you think the punishment handed down to disgraced former pathologist Dr. Charles Smith is fair. Add your vote now!