Login

Michael Spratt

Michael Spratt

Michael Spratt is a certified criminal law specialist and partner at the Ottawa criminal law firm AGP LLP. He has served as a director of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and as vice president of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa. He is an award-winning blogger co-host of the legal and political podcast The Docket. He frequently appears as an expert witness before the House of Commons and the Senate. Check more of his work at michaelspratt.com and on Twitter @mspratt.

Kinew's convenient amnesia: defence lawyers are crucial, even for him

Kinew's convenient amnesia: defence lawyers are crucial, even for him

Ousting an MLA for defending the accused undermines the very system that protects us

Ford’s crime policies rely on vibes, not evidence

Ford’s crime policies rely on vibes, not evidence

The premier wastes millions on helicopters while ignoring the urgent need for real justice reform

Doug Ford's cash infusion into the justice system is missing one key ingredient: legal aid

Doug Ford's cash infusion into the justice system is missing one key ingredient: legal aid

Actively gutting the program will undermine his aim of reducing court delays

Poilievre's plan to trample Charter rights won't stop at tough-on-crime measures

Poilievre's plan to trample Charter rights won't stop at tough-on-crime measures

His rhetoric relies on a tried-and-true approach of uniting the majority against minorities

Poilievre and Caputo ignore the truth about prisons when they resurrect the Bernardo transfer debate

Poilievre and Caputo ignore the truth about prisons when they resurrect the Bernardo transfer debate

Saying conditions are like university campuses is the highest level of absurdity

Poilievre's solution to car thefts ignores reality in favour of easy politics

Poilievre's solution to car thefts ignores reality in favour of easy politics

His tough-on-crime approach is simplistic and ineffective

Ford and Downey have skewed Ontario's justice system to suit their partisan purposes

Ford and Downey have skewed Ontario's justice system to suit their partisan purposes

Prosecutors are favoured over defence counsel, altering the judiciary to suit their ideology

Judges should not cite lawyers for criminal contempt on a whim

Judges should not cite lawyers for criminal contempt on a whim

A recent incident in Hamilton shows a disturbing approach to using what should be a rare tool

Human rights violations in prison should not be shrouded in secrecy

Human rights violations in prison should not be shrouded in secrecy

We must give our justice system more tools to address misconduct by prison officials

Ontario Chief Justice's practice directive brings bureaucratic absurdity to a whole new level

Ontario Chief Justice's practice directive brings bureaucratic absurdity to a whole new level

It is not about efficiency; it's about discouraging entry into the court system