Had you been standing in the foyer of Canada’s Senate on June 22nd 2017, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that a constitutional crisis was about to engulf our nation’s Parliament.While the national media waited outside the chamber with cameras, microphones and hot television lights in tow, … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 42-1: Scoring NAFTA: The United States Trounces Canada in Investor-State Disputes
“NAFTA is the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever signed in this country” (September 26, 2016)“Because NAFTA . . . is perhaps the greatest disaster trade deal in the history of the world. Not in this country. It stripped us of manufacturing jobs. We lost our jobs. … [Read more...]
BenchPress – Vol 42-1
Bribery Law in Canada is No Joking MatterThe Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) has shown that the bribery laws in Canada are nothing to scoff at. The ONCA upheld the trial decision convicting Nazir Karigar for agreeing to bribe a foreign official contrary to the Corruption of Foreign Public … [Read more...]
Leonardo Padura, The Man Who Loved Dogs
Leonardo Padura is a Cuban novelist, known first and foremost as one of the most exciting crime novelists of our time. In The Man Who Loved Dogs, Padura presents us with an epic, Tolstoyan novel that mostly succeeds in the ambitious goals he has set for the work. This year marks the 100th … [Read more...]
Reminder: Beyond A Reasonable Doubt is a Pillar of our Justice System
In the post-Ghomeshi trial hoopla, many seem to question the integrity of Canada’s criminal justice system. Hashtags, slogans, movements and even possibly legislation have been the ripple effects of an ever increasing angry public after Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted of his charges. Much to some of the … [Read more...]
Conflict Between Parents, Part 2: Strategies to Reduce Conflict
In Part 1 of this article, I wrote about the effects conflict between parents can have on their children. In this part of the article, I’m going to talk about some steps parents can take to protect children from their conflict.First, the bad news. Children are commonly negatively affected when … [Read more...]
An Insider’s Look at Senate Committees
When I first stepped into the Senate atrium and peered into the chamber, I recall experiencing a sensory overload of colour. Carpeted in a sea of red with gold leaf adorning the ceiling, the Senate is decorated in a style befitting a monarch, the colours hinting at the Upper House's regal … [Read more...]
Interveners in Human Rights Cases
Canadian courts, even though they are not litigants, third parties may have an interest in intervening in court proceedings because the court’s judgment may affect them or others whom they represent. They often have information that they believe may be relevant to the courts in making their … [Read more...]
The Senate Reference: Supreme Court of Canada Outlines Constitutional Road to Reform
Controversies in the Senate have caused many to question whether we need a Senate at all. Realistically, however, what changes could Parliament make to the Senate? Constitutionally, what changes is Parliament allowed to make to the Senate? In 2014, Parliament found out exactly how it could change – … [Read more...]
Mental Capacity Has Different Meanings in Different Contexts
President Donald Trump consistently makes the news, though more often it seems for comments an elected leader with sounder judgment would not be making. Furthermore, among the many outrageous statements that have left people scratching their heads, there have also been moments caught on camera … [Read more...]
