Finders keepers is not the case in Canada when it comes to the popular pastime of fossil hunting, with each province and territory having laws that protect and preserve fossils found within its borders. If a leg of lambeosaurus or a woolly mammoth tusk might look good on your fossil-picking … [Read more...]
About John Cooper
Canada’s legal responsibilities on international human rights
If passed, Bill C-262 will hold Canadian companies accountable for adverse impacts on human rights in their business activities abroad. Human rights are embedded in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They are also an essential component of Canada’s approach to both domestic and … [Read more...]
Drug Decriminalization: How attitudes toward drugs are changing the social and legal landscape
Today, attention is on decriminalizing possession of “harder” substances, with an emphasis on compassion, care and support for people who use drugs. Attitudes toward drug use are changing. Gone are the days of “Reefer Madness” of the 1930s and “dope fiend” references finding their way into … [Read more...]
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Migrant Farm Workers
Each year, between 50K and 60K migrant farm workers come to Canada. But are their working conditions in violation of the Charter? “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”- Cesar Chavez, civil rights and farm labour activist Chavez uttered those words in 1970 in the … [Read more...]
Pandemic Impacts Spur Immigration Changes
Even as COVID-19 continues to pose challenges, the flow of immigrants into Canada will continue. Among the proverbial game-changers in the life of the world, COVID-19 was a big one. The pandemic forced change to happen. We saw the vaccination of increasing numbers of people, the provision of … [Read more...]
Social Media, the Law and Social Justice
We've seen social media as a tool for social justice but its relationship with the law is challenging. Given the rapid growth of our interconnected world, few people would deny the role that social media plays - a repository of information, a driver of ideas and innovation, and increasingly a tool … [Read more...]
How Inmates in Canadian Prisons Suffer
These are the tip-of-the-iceberg issues faced by inmates in Canada’s federal and provincial prisons. And according to advocates for better inmate treatment, much more needs to be done. According to Statistics Canada, in 2017/2018, Canadian prisons held just under 39,000 adults: Investigations by … [Read more...]
In Canada and elsewhere, freedom of speech is on the endangered list
Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. These phrases may conjure up Hollywood-style images of noble activists and principled reporters butting heads with those in power – and winning. However, the reality is often far different: surveillance, gag orders, expensive and oppressive lawsuits, and … [Read more...]
Where the Monarchy Meets the State: Canada’s Vice-Regal Offices
It is a role that straddles several worlds - political, royal, legal and diplomatic - and combines tact, careful judgment, discretion and wisdom. Welcome to the offices of the governor general of Canada and the provincial lieutenant governors. As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s Parliament has … [Read more...]
Law Society of Ontario Targets Systemic Racism in the Legal Profession
An amended Rules of Professional Conduct was just one of 13 recommendations delivered by the Law Society of Ontario in a lengthy report designed to address issues of long-standing systemic discrimination in the legal system. Entitled Working Together for Change: Strategies to address issues of … [Read more...]
