We have too many liquor outlets in Alberta. Okay, we said it. This is a conversation that most Albertans don’t want to have. Privatization Effects In 1993, Alberta became the only Canadian jurisdiction to fully privatize the sale of alcohol. Since then, we have gone from 200 liquor outlet stores … [Read more...]
Legal Requirements When Travelling Abroad with a Minor
Whether it is summer vacations, winter holidays or visiting relatives for a long weekend, traveling abroad has become common for children of all ages. This travel, however, does not always occur with both parents or with every legal guardian of the minor. In such circumstances, it is highly … [Read more...]
The Unified Family Court: A Road-Tested Justice Strategy for Alberta
In my recent article, “What, Why and Where: Untangling Jurisdiction in Family Law,” I explained how litigants navigate the thicket of jurisdictional choices involved in a family law dispute. First there’s choosing the right law, because the federal and provincial governments have overlapping … [Read more...]
Can Domestic Abuse Victims Qualify as Refugees?
A Comment on Matter of A-R-C-G et al The recently-released decision of the United States’ Board of Immigration Appeals (“the Board”) in the Matter of A-R-C-G et al., (“Matter of A-R-C-G“), 26 I&N Dec. 388 (BIA 2014) may signal the United States’ growing openness to granting asylum to women who … [Read more...]
Possibly, Maybe, Perhaps: Empty Promises Spell the Death Knell of the Unpaid Internship
Unpaid internships are prevalent in Canada, with as many as 300,000 people currently working for free for some of the wealthiest and biggest transnational corporations. It has sparked nation-wide debate that has resulted in the naming and shaming of many businesses and corporations, including Bell … [Read more...]
The Calculation of Child Support: A Basic Guideline
The Federal Child Support Guidelines provide a framework for the payment of child support that a parent pays to support a child financially after a separation or divorce. What are the Federal Child Support Guidelines? As stated in Paragraph 1 of the Guidelines, their purpose is: (a) To establish … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-1: Records from Residential Schools
An Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge has ruled on the question of what should happen to the historical records created by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined the Indian Residential Schools. The Chief Adjudicator for the Independent Assessment Process, which looked at … [Read more...]
Truth in Sentencing Act Fails Again
For the second time this year, courts have found fatal flaws in sections of the federal Truth in Sentencing Act. In April the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that judges could give 1.5 days credit for every day an offender spends in pre-trial custody when determining a sentence, despite the Act’s … [Read more...]
What, Why and Where: Untangling Jurisdiction in Family Law
It can be a real challenge to figure out which court to go to when a family law problem needs to be resolved by a judge. You may need to go to a court where you live, or a court somewhere else. If you are going to a court where you live, you’ll have to decide which of the three levels of court you … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-1: The Facebook Factor
A Nova Scotia judge has ruled that a plaintiff’s Facebook usage history data can be accessed by a lawyer defending a personal injury claim. The lawyer was seeking the data under the disclosure of documents rule in the Nova Scotia Civil Procedure Rules. The Plaintiff was alleging that her ability … [Read more...]
