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 […]
Charting a new path with legal information in Alberta
The following is a summary of what we heard through CPLEA’s community consultations project – along with a glimpse into human-centred design in action within the legal information and services ecosystem. This is probably a problem we can all relate to when working on a long-running project or thorny issue – where you feel like […]
Dispensing with a Parent’s Consent for Therapy for Children
When therapy is in a child’s best interests but one parent doesn’t agree to it, there are options for going ahead with therapy without that parent’s consent. EDITOR’S NOTE This article was first published in LawNow on January 5, 2018. It was reviewed and updated by the author in 2026. When parents go through a […]
Divorcing with Dignity and Civility
Divorce can be one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. Collaboration and clear communication can reduce harm and lead to better outcomes. Divorce is often portrayed in media as an acrimonious fight, and many of us have likely heard horror stories of high-conflict separations. However, divorces really don’t need to be like […]
Poverty Law and Policy: Provincial vs. federal approaches
Canada aims to reduce poverty to 50% below 2015 levels by the year 2030. Are we on track for this ambitious goal? The federal Poverty Reduction Act (2019) set the goal to reduce poverty to 50% below 2015 levels by the year 2030. To hit this target, Canada’s national poverty rate must drop to 7.25%. […]
Revisiting emotional support animals
For cat lovers, there’s nothing like the feeling of having an edgy predator melt into a warm loaf in one’s lap, purring for kisses and cuddles.
Who risks liability for online defamation? Authors – and possibly website administrators
Authors are clearly responsible for the statements they post online, but website administrators may also be held liable for defamatory statements posted by others. Defamation The tort of defamation seeks to protect the reputations of individuals and businesses against unfounded and unjustified attacks. To establish the tort, a plaintiff (person suing) must prove that the […]
