On February 6th 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered the landmark decision of Carter v Canada (Attorney General) 2015 SCC 5, [2015] 1 SCR 331. The Court unanimously ruled to overturn the legal ban on medical assistance in dying in Canada. The Court declared that sections 14 and 241 of the … [Read more...]
Taxation for Students
Going to university can be a big change for a lot of students. They are finally adults, they might move away and there are a lot more responsibilities. One of these responsibilities that might seem a bit muddy is filing a personal tax return.Why file?Many students think that because they … [Read more...]
Medically Assisted Death Offers Options
In 2015 the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision in the case of a B.C. woman who wanted the right to be able to determine the timing and circumstances of her own death; what was termed at the time “doctor-assisted suicide”, and what has now become referred to as medical assistance in dying or … [Read more...]
Same-Sex Families in some Canadian Provinces still Face Discrimination Challenges
Across Canada we have seen many developments in GLBT rights in the past few years. With the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, we might have thought that true equality for same-sex families had been reached. However, some of our provincial family laws have not kept up to these legal changes. In … [Read more...]
Termination for Insolence
We hear that “attitude is everything”, and nowhere is this more important than at work. Consider whether the employee’s attitude below should be enough to justify his firing.Henry, 31, had been working for seven and a half years as an auto body repair technician at the Fox Ford dealership in … [Read more...]
Missing the Mark: Why the Post-Ghomeshi Outrage Makes Little Sense
Almost everyone has an opinion about one of the most followed trials in Canadian history. The Jian Ghomeshi trial left a trail of furious people in its path like an F5 tornado that veered off course. Many of those who are angry about the Ghomeshi trial allege that there was an injustice— that the … [Read more...]
Crowdfunding: Leveling the Playing Field
Over the past three years, nearly 12 million Canadians will have experienced at least one legal problem. However, few Canadians have the resources to navigate the legal system to address their legal problems. Court and legal fees are major obstacles in the pursuit of justice.JusticeFundr is the … [Read more...]
The Ins and Outs of Board Elections
One of the more murky areas of charity and not-for-profit law is the issue of the proper conduct of board elections. Many of the older pieces of legislation that deal with constituting and operating non-share capital corporations – the typical structure adopted by charities and not-for-profit groups … [Read more...]
The Right of an Imprisoned Accused to Conduct Online Research
Case Commented On: R v Biever, 2015 ABQB 301 The link between access to information and access to justice is not often discussed, but it is implicit in our legal process. Document production, questioning, and Crown disclosure are all premised on the notion that one needs access to relevant … [Read more...]
Organizations Get Religion: Loyola High School v. Quebec
Introduction Do organizations and corporations have a constitutionally protected freedom of religion under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?The Charter has existed for 34 years and we are still not clear whether non-human entities enjoy religious freedom as they do other freedoms, … [Read more...]
