A solicitous mom packed 15 pieces of fried chicken into her son’s luggage when he returned to Canada from a visit home to El Salvador, so that he would have something to eat when he got home. Her unknowing son checked “no” on the Customs Declaration asking if he was bringing meat products into the … [Read more...]
Update: Ticket Offences at Work
In the Nov/Dec 2013 issue of LawNow, the column Ticket Offences at Work explained a new workplace ticket system. As of January 1, 2014, Occupational Health and Safety officers in Alberta can use this tool to obtain better compliance with OHS legislation. As an appendix to the column, the authors … [Read more...]
Bench Press 38-3: Supreme Court Finds PIPA Invalid
In a startling decision, the Supreme Court of Canada has found Alberta’s Personal Information Privacy Act to be unconstitutional and therefore invalid. The case involved persons who were photographed crossing a picket line. A nearby sign warned that the striking union might post the pictures on a … [Read more...]
Whatever Happened to … The Law of Sniffer Dog Searches
When does a sniff amount to an illegal search? The Supreme Court of Canada recently weighed in on this question and the decision changes the law in Canada from what it had previously been. What was the law prior to the recent decision?Assume you are walking along the street or are on public … [Read more...]
Some Nuances to Keep in Mind When Measuring Giving
We are all familiar with those who find themselves subject to public or media criticism responding with the old saw that what they did, or what they said, was “taken out of context.” Sometimes there is merit to that complaint, sometimes not. Usually, we associate being taken out of context with an … [Read more...]
Criminal Defence Law in the North: Part One
It seems that almost every lawyer who has travelled from southern Canada to practice law “North of 60” ends up writing about his or her experiences at some point. Almost all of those who are drawn to this part of Canada are struck by the geographical and physical beauty of this land, and by the … [Read more...]
I’ve Been Good. Can My Landlord Make Me Move?
Can a landlord end a tenancy when the tenant has not done anything wrong? It depends. We're going to look at some different factors that come into answering this question. Just so we're all on the same page, today we're talking about periodic tenancies, which are the kinds of tenancies that continue … [Read more...]
Human Rights and Québec’s Charter of Values
On Thursday, November 7, 2013, the Québec government tabled its Charter of Values, Bill 60. The Bill provides that public body personnel must maintain religious neutrality in the exercise of their functions. It also restricts personnel from wearing objects “such as headgear, clothing, jewelry or … [Read more...]
Long arm of U of A law looking to reach rural Alberta
At some point between birth and death, life calls for at least some legal services. But for rural Albertans, who, like their urban cousins grapple with everything from wills to business deals, vital access to a lawyer isn’t a given.That’s why the University of Alberta Faculty of Law is teamed up … [Read more...]
Corporal Punishment and Domestic Violence: The Case for “Anti-Spanking” Legislation
Recall conversations among parents deliberating the joys and perils of raising children – does the following sound familiar? “I wouldn’t normally spank my kid, but if he crosses the road without looking, you bet I’m gonna make my point! That’ll be the last time he does that.” While spanking is … [Read more...]
