Listen: CJN’s North Star Podcast – After Synagogue Shootings, Legal Experts Warn Dropped Charges Fuel ‘Impunity’
- ALCCA Staff
- Mar 18
- 1 min read
On The Canadian Jewish News’ North Star podcast, ALCCA Senior Criminal Counsel Rochelle Direnfeld joins Michael Teper, President of the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) – an ALCCA member organization – to discuss concerns about the handling of antisemitism-related criminal charges in Toronto.
Drawing on data tracking 100 Toronto police cases since October 7, 2023, the discussion explores why many charges laid by police are later withdrawn or diverted before trial, and what this trend may mean for public confidence in the justice system. Direnfeld explains how prosecutorial discretion, diversion programs, and challenges in recognizing contemporary manifestations of antisemitism can affect how these cases proceed through the courts.
The conversation also examines broader policy questions, including training for Crown attorneys and potential policy responses to hate crimes.
Listen to the full podcast episode below via Spotify or read a full transcript of the interview on the CJN website: