ONLINE MEETING | Detention, Retention, Forfeiture and Return of Property Seized
This meeting is being hosted by the Criminal Justice - Vancouver Section.
| Speakers: |
Joven Narwal, KC, Founding Partner, Narwal Litigation LLP
Nick Reithmeier, Administrative Crown Counsel, Criminal Justice Branch, BC Ministry of Attorney General
Kristina Guest, Deputy Supervising Counsel - LSB Litigation Group, Ministry of Attorney General |
| Time: |
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 5:30pm - 7:00pm (PT) |
| Fee: |
CBA Member: Free!
Non-CBA Member: $95 (+ GST)
Don't have a CBA account? Create a non-member account to register! |
| CPD Hours: |
1.50 hour |
The ability of the state to seize property belonging to an individual is far reaching and requires proper judicial oversight to ensure that the individual’s Charter rights are respected. As has been seen from cases like Craig, Gill, and Teixeira, an individual’s Charter protected rights go beyond the mere seizure of the item. The retention and return process calls upon the courts to strike a balance between the ability of the state to investigate crimes and pursue forfeiture applications against the privacy rights of the individual, very often in the pre-charge investigative stage. The relationship between an individual’s seized property and the state can often be further complicated due to the interplay with provincial civil forfeiture laws.
Jovan Narwal, KC, Nick Reithmeier, and Kristina Guest discuss the competing concerns, procedures, and issues which arise in both the Criminal Code s. 490 process and the Civil Forfeiture context.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This event will be broadcast from the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam First Nations. We encourage members to explore the rich history and knowledge of Indigenous people, and to continue learning about their experience in Canada past and present.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
This meeting is for lawyers, judges, articling students & law students only.
If you are a non-lawyer working in a field related to this meeting, please contact sections@cbabc.org to request attendance. Attendance is granted to non-lawyers on a case by case basis.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please request any accommodations needed in the "Notes" area upon registering. Live captions and transcripts are available for attendees upon request.
We welcome suggestions for enhancing the inclusiveness of our activities. Please contact if you have any questions or recommendations.
LOG-IN INSTRUCTIONS
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