The forced resignation of Patrick Brown as leader of the Ontario Conservatives raises concerns of fairness and due process – for him and for the women accusing him. Christie Blatchford has castigated the party and other public officials for abandoning the “presumption of innocence”, and has … [Read more...]
Over-Representation of Indigenous (and other Racialized) Children in the Child Welfare System: Human Rights Aspects
For the past few decades, there has been growing publicity about the over-representation of Indigenous and other minority children in our child welfare systems across Canada. The 2015 findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirmed that the over-representation of Indigenous children in … [Read more...]
Colours and Trade-Marks
We live in a world of colour. From the brightest shade of red to the darkest hue of violet, colours can influence your mood, evoke your emotions, and even establish certain mental connections. A bouquet of red roses may make you think of romance and Valentine’s Day, while the same bouquet in a sharp … [Read more...]
Enemy of the State? Why You Should Treat the Defence and Crown as Equals
Many perceive defence counsel as snaky, tricky, tactical used car salesman-like villains in courtrooms all across our countries. It’s easy to blame us— we defend criminals, right? The Crown Attorney on the other hand, is often championed as justice fighters— putting the bad guys in jail where they … [Read more...]
Black-Letter Law
Studying the law, exactly as it is written, is one approach to understanding it. However, this approach creates as least as many issues as it clarifies. It requires us to ask the question: how do words, removed from their factual, historical, and socio-legal context, become a body of rules that … [Read more...]
Cannabis and Employment
Introduction While medical scientists are busy deciding the human health impacts of regular recreational cannabis use, and governments are still working out how cannabis will be cultivated, sold and taxed, and law enforcement officials consider how cannabis use will affect driving and how road … [Read more...]
Omar Khadr.2
This conduct establishes Canadian participation in state conduct that violates the principles of fundamental justice. Interrogation of a youth, to elicit statements about the most serious criminal charges while detained in these conditions and without access to counsel, and while knowing that the … [Read more...]
Bringing Clarity to Passenger Compensation Rules
The last time Ottawa decided to make some noise about air passenger rights, in 2000, they brought an ex-NHL referee to a news conference. Bruce Hood, the newly minted air complaints commissioner, pulled out a whistle and blew it. Literally. If you’re looking for the highlight of Ottawa’s past … [Read more...]
Bicycle Law in Alberta
As a cyclist, do you follow the rules of the road? According to a University of Colorado Survey, about eighty-five percent of cyclists do obey the law when riding. Almost three quarters of the scofflaws who break the rules claim to do so for their personal safety – saying they are simply getting … [Read more...]
Accommodating Syrian Refugees’ Legal and Other Needs
The Syrian Crisis The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has recognized the Syrian refugee crisis as the world’s single largest refugee crisis for almost a quarter of a century under its mandate. As of March 2017, the UNHCR reports that 6.3 million Syrians have fled their homes and … [Read more...]
