The case of Donald Kushniruk was a tragedy, and it was a tragedy that could have been avoided with due diligence by the proper authorities. A man with no criminal record who had committed a minor crime, which ultimately led to a sentence of just seven days, spent more than two years in jail waiting … [Read more...]
Understanding the Criminal Trial Process
Some 20 years ago, a sexual offender broke into a series of homes in downtown Vancouver. Several of the victims visually identified Ivan Henry as the perpetrator based on an in-person line up, a photographic line up or when he was sitting as the accused in court. Given the similarities between the … [Read more...]
Solitary Confinement: “Abandon Every Hope, Ye who Enter”
“Abandon every hope, ye who enter”DANTEIn 2003, an artist named Jackie Sumell created a project that rebuilt an Angola inmate’s tiny 6x9 foot cell where he spent 41 years in solitary confinement. The cell toured the United States for the sole purpose of raising awareness about solitary … [Read more...]
Political Activities Update for Charities
The much-anticipated work on reviewing the guidance and rules around what political activities Canadian registered charities can undertake has now been begun. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently announced that it will hold a consultation on that topic. The consultation will be both online and … [Read more...]
Here are Some Things to Consider Before you Host your Holiday Party
With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s that time of year again for hosting guests. If you are currently renting a property and plan to have guests over, there are several things you need to know. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) is the law that applies to most renting situations in … [Read more...]
Obtaining Evidence in High Conflict Parenting Disputes, Part 2: Using Experts in Parenting Disputes
In most disputes over parenting time, parents come to reasonable decisions about what is in their child’s best interests. However, a small percentage of disputes are “high conflict”. In high conflict cases, the parents have great difficulty communicating, make decisions together, and treating each … [Read more...]
Genetic Discrimination is Being Addressed in Canadian Law
With many recent advances in technology, testing can disclose information about people’s health that was not available even a few years ago. For example, genetic testing can reveal that a person has a gene mutation that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder. This information may be … [Read more...]
Bieber and Beachclub: What is Defamation in the Social Media Era?
On May 16, 2016, the Montreal Gazette and the New York Daily News reported that Stratford-born pop star Justin Bieber had been sued in Montreal by event promoter Team Productions for $650,000 CDN for defamation.Bieber's offending comment was a tweet on August 22, 2015, which would have been the … [Read more...]
Self-Represented Litigants have Mountains to Climb
Self-represented litigants present a host of challenges to some of the core assumptions of the legal system. Here are three of the most significant issues.Access to JusticeThe right to a fair trial is a principle of fundamental justice in Canada. If the unrepresented litigant is a lay … [Read more...]
Stranger Than We Can Imagine
Stranger Than We Can Imagine – John Higgs’s intriguing and unique tour of the 20th Century.I recommend to readers trying to make sense of the tumultuous twentieth century a fresh historical take – John Higgs’s Stranger Than We Can Imagine: An Alternative History of the Twentieth Century. Its … [Read more...]
