There have been several recent news stories about harassment issues in Canadian workplaces. For example, a 2013 review of the Calgary Police Services workplace was recently released, containing detailed allegations of sexual harassment, intimidation, bullying and even sexual assault within the … [Read more...]
The Work of the National Judicial Institute
The Right Honourable Beverly McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada and the Chair of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute said about judicial education: As the landscape of judges becomes ever more complex through technological, environmental and socioeconomic changes, … [Read more...]
A Long Way From Plato
Canada is in the process of following the lead of other nations like Britain and Germany which have committed to pardoning and /or apologizing to large numbers of men who were criminally convicted in past decades for engaging in homosexual acts. The German government has determined that it will … [Read more...]
Viewpoint
Justice Robin Camp is now facing discipline from the Canadian Judicial Council for sexist remarks he made during a sexual assault trial in Alberta. But this high-profile case also raises a much broader issue: How should our outdated judicial discipline system be realigned to fit contemporary values … [Read more...]
Transgender Inclusion in Sport
In mid-November, I participated in a literary event in Toronto hosted by Carol Off, a well-known CBC personality and the co-host of As It Happens, a nightly radio program. She was interviewing three authors of historical fiction. An audience member asked the question, “A hundred years from now, when … [Read more...]
Cumulative Cause.1
The workplace “was not a grade five classroom”. Kim v. International Triathlon Union Introduction The workplace is a challenging setting to manage. One must be proficient at dealing with a range of people with all kinds of personalities, backgrounds and styles. The manager in small … [Read more...]
Equality Rights for Transgender Individuals in Canada
The most recent personal attributes added to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in Canadian human rights are “gender identity” and “gender expression.” This is generally viewed as facilitating gender diversity and, in particular, establishing legal rights and protections for … [Read more...]
Keeping at Arm’s Length
Recent events, particularly the controversy in Alberta over the dealings of Trinity Christian School Association and various people and organizations connected with the Association, make a review of the question of charities and non-arm’s length transactions timely. So that’s the subject of this … [Read more...]
Supporting Transgender People in the Workplace
The Alberta Human Rights Act (Act), RSA 2000, c. A-25.5, protects people from discrimination in employment based on gender identity and gender expression under section 7 of the AHR Act: 7 (1) No employer shall (a) refuse to employ or refuse to continue to employ any person, or (b) … [Read more...]
BenchPress – Vol 41-3
Intolerable Delay, 5 Years: Case 1 Barrett Jordan was charged with a criminal offence in 2008 and his trial ended with his conviction in 2013. He alleged that his Charter right to trial within a reasonable time had been breached and the Supreme Court of Canada agreed. It set out a new standard … [Read more...]
