The following is the summary of a study completed by Paul G. Thomas on the Senate of Canada. The Senate of Canada has changed significantly as a result of the 2014 decision by Justin Trudeau, then leader of the Liberal party, to remove Liberal senators from the parliamentary caucus; and by his … [Read more...]
BenchPress – Vol 43-5
Discrimination Based on Country of Origin The Federal Court of Canada has struck down as unconstitutional a provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). In 2012 the Act was changed to create two categories of refugees, based on their country of origin. So called “safe … [Read more...]
Disabilities and Addiction in the Workplace
Employee alcohol and drug addictions in the workplace can be very difficult issues for employers to manage. Addiction is recognized as a mental disability, which means that employers cannot automatically terminate employees because of their addiction. On the contrary, employers are required to … [Read more...]
The Legislative Process: How We Make Our Laws
Except when something particularly noteworthy occurs – such as the implementation of a radical new law or the defeat of a government over legislation it is trying to get passed – many Canadians are not aware of the details of our legislative process. In this article, I will sketch out an overview of … [Read more...]
How Are Environmental Laws Made?
Written environmental laws come in all different sizes and shapes. For example, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 has 356 sections, six schedules and fifty-seven sets of regulations. Other environmental laws are only one page long. Big or small, they all have a few things in common. … [Read more...]
Police Demanding Evidence from Journalists: The Vice Media Case
Introduction How do police detect crimes? Like us, the police do not see many crimes taking place when they are walking or driving around. They become aware of crimes when people report them. They occasionally detect crimes online. Some people communicate with journalists to publicize their … [Read more...]
43-5: How We Make Our Laws
Full PDF of this issue Volume 43-5 May/June 2019 Table of Contents Featured Articles: How We Make Our Laws Special Report: Employment Law Departments Columns Crafting new laws is a complex and lengthy undertaking. This issue of LawNow looks at … [Read more...]
5 Basics Every Startup & Growing Business Should Know About Employment Law
Growing a business takes people. In early days, many startups have just one “employee”: the founder. At some point, the founder might retain the services of independent contractors to perform certain services. And eventually, many startups and growing businesses hire employees and become, for the … [Read more...]
The Continuing Relevance of International Law in Canada
To some Canadians, international law may be perceived as an amorphous body of law with little, if any, direct impact on their day-to-day life. After all, international law was historically referred to as the “Law of Nations”: the laws which governed the conduct of sovereign states as actors on the … [Read more...]
BenchPress – Vol 43-2
Important Limit to the Duty to Consult Alberta’s Mikisew Cree First Nation took the federal government to court over its omnibus budget bill of 2012. This bill made significant changes to Canada’s environmental protection regime. The Mikisew were not consulted at any stage of the legislative … [Read more...]
