Bio

Greg DelBigio has been a Vancouver criminal defence lawyer since 1992.

Greg earned his LLB in 1991 from the University of Toronto after completing an MA and the course work for a PhD in Philosophy with a specialization in Medical Ethics and the Philosophy of Law at the University of Western Ontario.

Since then Greg DelBigio has developed considerable experience defending individuals against Criminal Charges including:

• assault;
• conspiracy;
• driving offences such as impaired and dangerous driving;
• possession, production, importing and trafficking of drugs (narcotics);
• fraud; and
• murder.

Greg DelBigio also represents clients in matters related to the following areas:

• Income Tax & Excise (GST) investigations.
• Proceeds of Crime (money laundering) including asset restraint and forfeiture, and compliance.
• Extradition hearings, submissions to the Minister of Justice and appeals.
• Charter of Rights with a particular emphasis on the protection of the legal rights of an accused (e.g., life, liberty and security of the person, unlawful search and seizure, right to counsel and the exclusion of evidence obtained by breaching the Charter rights of an accused)
• Appeals and appellate work in both the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

In addition to his practice, Greg has been a valuable and reliable contributor to the work of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Bar Association (the “CBA”), and the professional development of criminal lawyers in British Columbia.

Greg DelBigio has been a Vice-Chair, Chair, Past Chair and Executive Member of numerous National and BC Branch, CBA committees include the National Legislation and Law Reform Committee and the National and BC Branch Criminal Justice Sections.

Greg’s efforts to enhance the profession and his active role in legislative review and reform were recognized in 2003 when he was the recipient of the Canadian Bar Association President’s Award.

His academic background and professional experience have been invaluable in his role as CBA representative before various House and Senate Committees including:

• Money Laundering, Organized Crime and Anti-Terrorism (2001)
• Bill C-284 – Corporate Criminal Liability, review of Anti-Terrorism laws (2005)
• Review of Bill C-24, Criminal Code (ss. 25.1-25.4) Amendments (Organized Crime and Law Enforcement)) (2006)
• Work on Bill C-9, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Conditional Sentence of Imprisonment), and Bill C-10, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Minimum Penalties for Offences Involving Fire Arms) (2006)
• Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System (2006-2009)

Greg has also been a strong contributor to the professional development of BC lawyers. He has taught numerous courses for The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC (“CLEBC”) including:

• Criminal Law Bootcamp (2009) and
• Search Warrants and Wiretap (2010).

He has taught Advanced Criminal Law for the UBC Faculty of Law and “Search and Seizure (2009)” for Osgoode Hall Professional Development.

In addition, Greg is the Co-Editor of the Charter of Rights Newsletter published by Canada Law Book, has published articles in Legal Perspectives and Health Law in Canada and he is a frequent contributor to the CBA Newsletter, reporting on current developments dealing with the criminal justice system.

Some of the Articles Greg has written include:

• Income Tax Investigations and Prosecutions 10 C. of R. Newsl., No. 4
• Proceeds of Crime: Dilemma Between Counsel and Penalty 10 C. of R. Newsl., No. 6
• Privacy and Income Tax Records 12 C. of R. Newsl., No. 8
• Constitutional Principles in Extradition Proceedings 13 C. of R. Newsl., No.10
• Analyzing Money Laundering/Organized Crime/Anti-terrorism Laws 14 C. of R. Newsl., No. 9
• Balancing Solicitor Client Privilege and the Right to Make Full Answer and Defence 14 C. of R. Newsl., No. 10
• Solicitor-Client Privilege and Law Office Searches 15 C. of R. Newsl., No. 5
• Accessing Seized Money for Legal Fees 16 C. of R. Newsl., No.1
• Scope and Nature of Lawyer’s Obligation of Secrecy 16 C. of R. Newsl., No. 10
• Constitutional Validity of Investigative Hearings 17 C. of R. Newsl., No. 2
• Distinguishing Between Investigative and Audit Powers Under the Income Tax Act 18 C. of R. Newsl., No. 1
• An Expansion of the Right to Silence by the SCC 18 C. of R. Newsl., No. 2
• The Role of the Courts in the Constitutional Review of Legislation 18 C. of R. Newsl., No. 3
• Civil Discover, Privilege and Section 7 Protection Against Self- Incrimination 18 C. of R. Newsl., No. 10