The Supreme Court of Canada Recognizes a New Tort of Intimate Partner Violence
The new tort of intimate partner violence gives survivors a clearer path to seeking a remedy, and promotes equality, freedom and access to justice. The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia marks a major development in Canadian family and tort law: the creation of a new tort of intimate partner violence. The […]
Canada’s Oldest and Youngest Law Schools: A history of change
Law schools in Canada started out as elite and exclusive places but are now changing to adapt to the needs of the future. Law schools may conjure many images in a person’s mind: sturdy granite and sandstone walls covered with a dense growth of English ivy, centuries-old neoclassic buildings linked by sedate pathways, classrooms smelling […]
Reflections on a bygone housing era
As part of Asian Heritage Month, here is a retelling of a bygone housing era and sensational housing law case in Vancouver, British Columbia. This article is written through the author’s own cultural, legal, and creative lens – with a Xianxia twist. For the uninitiated, Xianxia is a high‑fantasy genre rooted in Ancient Chinese philosophies […]
Judicial Robes: A Look at the Sartorial Side of Courtroom Dress
Courtroom dress rules may seem fixed and unchanging, but they have evolved over time with law, society and culture. Photo by Katrin Bolovtsova from Pexels When most people picture a judge, they likely imagine a figure in a flowing black robe. Judicial robes are meant to signal fairness, authority, and neutrality. By concealing clothing worn […]
United We Stand, Divided We Stumble: Canada’s provincial legal responses to human trafficking
Five Canadian provinces have introduced different laws to combat human trafficking. What needs to be done to standardize responses across the country? In 2001, Canada signed the United Nations Palermo Protocol of 2000. The Protocol is part of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), which aims to combat organized crime, including human trafficking. […]
Bill 18: Alberta Pushes Back Against MAID Expansion
The federal government plans to expand eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in March 2027. Alberta’s Bill 18 may place stricter limits on MAID eligibility in the province. In March 2024, I wrote an article titled “Canada is not yet Ready to Expand its Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation.” That article examined the federal […]
Don’t Be Afraid to Call 9-1-1: Immunity from Prosecution When Dealing with Drug Overdoses
The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people from criminal charges for drug possession if they call 9-1-1 to report a drug overdose. Under the law of possession in criminal law, you can be arrested even if you do not physically have any drugs on you. For example, if you are in someone else’s car […]
Indigenous Law vs. Aboriginal Law: What’s the difference?
Indigenous laws are gaining recognition in Canada’s legal landscape, but have always been a part of the fabric of the Nation. Canadian law is a multi-juridical system, where many forms of law coexist. Canada’s legal system was founded on a combination of English common law, French civil law (in Quebec), and Indigenous legal traditions. This […]
