33 (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this Charter. Section 33 of the … [Read more...]
Canada Opens its Courts to Overseas Human Rights Abuses
On February 28, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to strike damages claims for international human rights abuses and Canadian torts by three former workers at a Canadian majority-owned mining company in Eritrea. In the five-to-four majority decision in Nevsun Resources Ltd v Araya, the court … [Read more...]
Bad Behaviour 5.0: Employees getting away with …
A 2006 Alberta case highlights the difficulties employers face when trying to deal with an employee who is frequently absent and battling an addiction. Whitford was not given sufficiently clear and detailed warnings about his misconduct, was mislead [sic] by approvals granting him leave, and was … [Read more...]
The Constitutional Right to Marijuana in Canada: R v Parker
If a rule of criminal law precludes a person from obtaining appropriate medical treatment when his or her life or health is in danger, then the state has intervened and this intervention constitutes a violation of that man's or that woman's security of the person ... R v Parker, [2000] OJ No 2787 … [Read more...]
The Law of Unpaid Internships in Canada
For well over 100 years, students in industrial-era trade apprenticeships and professions have learned by ‘watching and doing’ under the supervision of the master craftsman. Historically, there was little or no pay or benefits associated with these tutelages. They were viewed as voluntary … [Read more...]
What to do with Your Conscience at Work?
We hear a lot today about people following their conscience. Conscience is more than mere preferences and choices. It is about one’s values, spiritual worldview and visceral sense of right and wrong. Few employees want to compromise on their deepest conscientious beliefs for their jobs. These … [Read more...]
Provinces Leaving Canada Part II: The Clarity Act
The obligations we have identified are binding obligations under the Constitution of Canada. However, it will be for the political actors to determine what constitutes "a clear majority on a clear question" in the circumstances under which a future referendum vote may be taken. - Reference Re … [Read more...]
VIEWPOINT | The Supreme Court of Canada Changes Its Mind
[on the Supreme Court of Canada being ‘the most progressive in the world’] I would say so, yeah, and I must say I’m very proud of that. - Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (June 2018) Introduction In an article for LawNow a few years ago, I was staggered to see how … [Read more...]
Opening the Legal Profession: The Andrews case
While legislatures must inevitably draw distinctions among the governed, such distinctions should not bring about or reinforce the disadvantage of certain groups and individuals by denying them the rights freely accorded to others. - Andrews v Law Society of British Columbia, [1989] 1 SCR … [Read more...]
Provinces Leaving Canada Part I: The Quebec Secession case
. . . a clear majority vote in Quebec on a clear question in favour of secession would confer democratic legitimacy on the secession initiative which all of the other participants in Confederation would have to recognize. - Reference Re Secession of Quebec, [1998] 2 SCR 217 at para … [Read more...]
