opinion

The Ontario Superior Court in Toronto. The idea that self-defence should be subject to a test of reasonableness has existed in the Criminal Code since it was first adopted, in 1892.

After a Lindsay, Ont., man was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly knifing an intruder in his apartment – the alleged intruder was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries – the Premier of Ontario was quick to vent his outrage.

“You should be able to protect your family when someone’s going in there to harm your family and your kids,” Doug Ford fumed at a press conference last week. Others hastened to follow. “If someone breaks in, you deserve the right to defend your loved ones and your property – full stop,” federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted .

The particulars

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