Criminal Law And The Canadian Criminal Code - 2026 Release
Preface
Abbreviations Used for Case Citations
Table of Cases
Chapter 1: Criminal Law in Canadian Context
Chapter 2: The “Physical” Element of a Crime: Actus Reus
Chapter 3: The Mental Element of a Crime: Mens Rea
Chapter 4: Modes of Participation and Inchoate Offences
Chapter 5: Defences, Justifications, and Excuses
Chapter 6: Arrests, Detention, and Pretrial
Chapter 7: Trials
Chapter 8: Sentencing and Restorative Approaches
Glossary
The Canadian 2026 Release of Criminal Law and the Canadian Criminal Code offers a practical and accessible overview of Canadian criminal law. Jochelson features a dynamic new author team from the University of Manitoba. In addition, the 2026 Release has undergone a full redesign, streamlining the structure from 13 chapters to 8, and shifting to an integrated approach that blends foundational concepts with discussions of significant offences. Actus Reus and Mens Rea are now addressed in separate chapters for greater depth, while the Canadian Criminal Code has been moved online for real-time updates. Indigenous perspectives are thoughtfully interwoven throughout. Also new to the 2026 Release are updated case studies, critical thinking questions, and engaging visuals to deepen student understanding. Jochelson reflects the latest amendments, jurisprudence, and systemic challenges, offering a comprehensive and socially conscious exploration of Canadian criminal law.
New author team. Barnhorst welcomes two new authors to the Seventh Edition: Adriel Weaver and Dean Embry. Adriel Weaver is a public law litigator at Goldblatt Partners and ad adjunct professor at the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto. Dean Embry is a criminal defence lawyer and partner at Embry Dann LLP, and has guest lectured at the University of Toronto faculties of Law and Criminology and at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Updated content. The Seventh Edition of Barnhorst reflects both amendments to the Criminal Code and related statutes, and significant jurisprudential developments over the past decade. Examples include recent Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality of Code provisions (e.g. R v Brown, 2022 SCC 18 and the companion appeals in R v Sullivan and R v Chan), and Charter rights at various stages of the prosecution process from bail (R v Antic, 2017 SCC 27) to trial within a reasonable time (R v Jordan, 2016 SCC 27) to sentencing (e.g. R v Nur, 2015 SCC 15).
Challenges and responses. Barnhorst seeks to engage more thoroughly with the politics of the criminal justice system, with particular attention to the challenges of and responses to various forms of systemic discrimination and persistent and pervasive inequities in the enforcement and administration of the criminal law.
Connect with SmartBook 2.0. The Seventh Edition of Criminal Law and the Canadian Criminal Code is available in Connect. Connect is McGraw Hill's award-winning digital teaching and learning solution designed to enhance your teaching style. It allows you to deliver, personalize and measure your course with ease. Plus, Connect can integrate with your LMS system to provide a seamless experience for you and your students. Within Connect, students have access to a variety of learning tools, including SmartBook. SmartBook is an adaptive learning and reading tool that personalizes content to each student's unique needs.
New Connect Experience. Significant improvements to the instructor workflows in Connect have been made, including the addition of new features designed to make managing your course even easier. New features include the ability to add co-instructors to a section, a new Assignments tab, a redesigned section dashboard, optimizations for mobile use, and improved accessibility.
Unique Breadth of Coverage. The Seventh Edition maintains the general structure and approach from previous editions. Part 1 addresses key concepts and principles of criminal law by examining case law that demonstrates and applies these concepts. After providing students with the basics, Part 2 focuses on the Criminal Code itself, providing an overview of the various types of offences as well as all of the major offences.
Readability. Barnhorst is known for its clear writing style, flow, and presentation of concepts.
Application of the Canadian Criminal Code. Barnhorst focuses on application of the Canadian Criminal Code to help students prepare for careers in law and law enforcement, including police officers, security personnel, probation and parole offices, law clerks, and more.
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