DiscoverThe DecibelIs it legal to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home?
Is it legal to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home?

Is it legal to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home?

Update: 2025-09-02
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In August, a man allegedly broke into someone’s home in a small Ontario town. After an altercation, the intruder was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Now, both men face charges. The case has sparked a country-wide conversation about the limits of self-defence, with politicians across Canada weighing in.

Today, the Globe’s opinion columnist Andrew Coyne joins The Decibel. He’ll tell us how the public discourse is playing out and what Canadian law actually says about self-defense.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Is it legal to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home?

Is it legal to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home?

The Globe and Mail