Criminal Organizations like the Hells Angels and Liquor Licenses

Edward Prutschi joins Jerry Agar on NewsTalk1010 to discuss a recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision that opened the door to a possible revocation of a Hells Angels’ bar owner’s liquor license. The Hells Angels full-patch member-in-question, Robert Barletta, is a bar owner in London, Ontario whose liquor license was brought before the court. Despite the fact that Canadian law classifies the Hells Angels as a criminal organization, being a member of the Hells Angels is not in itself a criminal offence; in fact, freedom of association is a right guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Mr. Prutschi unravels this conundrum and discusses how the Court rationalizes their decision, while also delving into the potential problems with the ruling. Mr. Prutschi discusses how this case can impact similar cases in the future where business owners with ties to organizations defined as “criminal” could see their legitimate business operations targeted.

Mr. Prutschi is a partner at Bytensky Prutschi Shikhman, an internationally reputed criminal law firm, and is a frequent contributor to a multitude of media outlets – such as CBC TV, CTV News, NewsTalk1010, Sun TV etc. – in Canada.