The leading role of the Supreme Court of Canada is no longer in dispute, but there was a time when it had to struggle to establish its authority. The history of the Court began with section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867, which allowed Parliament to establish a “General Court of Appeal for … [Read more...]
Vaclav Havel and the Meaning of Tragedy in Politics and Law
Vaclav Havel, who died in Prague shortly before Christmas in 2011, was a great dissident hero and champion of civil liberties who played a vital role in opposing the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He became a powerful rallying voice in the peaceful overthrow of the totalitarian political system … [Read more...]
Cold War Casualties in the True North Strong and Free
I have just had the exhilarating experience of reading the new novel by Winnipeg’s Margaret Sweatman, a political thriller set in the heart of the Cold War years. I was intrigued by the title – Mr Jones – as that was indeed the name we gave to the first book club I belonged to – the Mr. Jones Book … [Read more...]
Indian Residential Schools: A Chronology
This chronology was compiled to convey, by historic milestones, how the Indian Residential School system came to be, how it embodied attitudes of its time, how critics were dismissed, and how, finally, the deep harm it did to many members of generations of Indian children was exposed in the course … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Reins in Social Credit
The Reference Re Alberta Statutes case of 1938 (Reference Re Alberta Statutes - The Bank Taxation Act; The Credit of Alberta Regulation Act; and the Accurate News and Information Act, [1938] SCR 100 ) has been written about elsewhere but this monumental decision of the Supreme Court continues to … [Read more...]
Bench Press 38-5: Some Bones to Pick
Poor Richard III! Shakespeare’s play portrays him as a villain and a murderer. Killed in battle 500 years ago, his remains were discovered in 2012 under a parking lot in Leister, England. Another battle ensued about where to bury him. The Government had granted a burial license to the City of … [Read more...]
Finders Keepers? A Historical Survey of Lost and Abandoned Property and the Law
Introduction You are walking along a busy downtown street when a small object on the ground catches the corner of your eye. Intrigued, you bend down to find a small pouch which upon further examination contains a gold bracelet. There is neither attached identification nor any sign of the owner. To … [Read more...]
The Ins and Outs of the Senate
If the recent news headlines about the Senate has you wondering how the Senate came to be, what its role is and what Senators do, then check out the ‘Senate series’ on CPLEA‘s blog, Blogosaurus Lex. Senate Series Part 1: An Introduction to the Senate Senate Series Part 2: A Bit of … [Read more...]