The rules and processes at Small Claims Court were designed to be simple and flexible, so that everyday people could have their disputes resolved without hiring lawyers or paralegals. However, the reality is that many self-represented litigants continue to face significant hurdles in accessing the … [Read more...]
Self-Represented Parties at the Alberta Appeals Commission for Worker’s Compensation
The Alberta Appeals Commission for Worker’s Compensation is a tribunal that hears appeals from decisions made by the Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB). In Alberta the scheme for worker’s compensation is governed by the terms of the Worker’s Compensation Act RSA c. W- 15 and WCB policies that amplify … [Read more...]
Obtaining Evidence in High Conflict Parenting Disputes, Part 1: Lawyers for Children
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...]
What Types of Proceedings Can You File Under the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act?
The Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act regulates insolvency law in Canada. This legislation governs both business proceedings and personal procedures. In terms of personal insolvency, individuals have three basic legal measures available to them to obtain relief from creditors. The primary types of … [Read more...]
A-loan in the Dark
It is 6:59 a.m. on Saturday morning, and you have been sleepily staring at your course registration screen for what seems like hours, with your mouse carefully hovering over the “register” button. Registration starts at 7:00 a.m. and, let’s be honest, university students are essentially vultures … [Read more...]
Bad Scholarship?
Many years ago I played a small part in the unearthing of a controversial scholarship at the University of Toronto that was, among other things, restricted to white, Protestant candidates. It was called the Leonard Scholarship and dated from 1923. After being featured in a student newspaper of … [Read more...]
The Production of Cell Tower Records Breaches Canadians’ Privacy Rights
Justice Sproat of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in R. v. Rogers Communications Partnerships [2016] O.J. No. 151 has ruled that police cannot seek the production of cellphone records of thousands of Canadians in order to pursue investigations. This means that the personal information of … [Read more...]
Medical Assistance in Dying: From Rodriguez to Bill-C14
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) involves intentionally ending one’s life with the assistance of a medical doctor. For some individuals, especially those suffering from terminal illnesses, choosing when to die could be very important: for example, persons could choose to end life with dignity, … [Read more...]
Medical Assistance in Dying: An Enormous Change in Canadian Social Policy
Now, the focus will shift to the provinces.On June 17, 2016, Canada passed Bill C-14, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code, to enable citizens to access medical assistance in dying. Canada now joins a small group of countries and U.S. states that give their citizens such an option. It came about … [Read more...]
Constructive Dismissal Still Under Construction
“constructive dismissal can [occur when]… a series of acts that, taken together, show that the employer intended to no longer be bound by the contract.” - Potter v. New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission [2015] 1 SCR 500 http://canlii.ca/t/ggkhh Introduction Constructive dismissal … [Read more...]
