An Ontario Aboriginal man has had his conviction for manslaughter re-instated by the Supreme Court of Canada. Clifford Kokopenace was originally convicted in 2008. However, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned his conviction because the jury at his trial did not have any Aboriginal members. It … [Read more...]
New Employment Law Resources for Alberta Youth
Many new Canadians are unfamiliar with the legislation that protects them in the workplace. Research indicates that immigrants with limited English speaking abilities often turn to their children to act as intermediaries to pass on information, including legal information. By developing resources … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-4: Consent is a Matter of Life and Death
The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently ruled on a case involving an Alzheimer’s patient and her ability to give consent. It looked at a number of questions that will be raised as Canadians come to grips with the recent Carter decision of the Supreme Court of Canada (Carter v. Canada (Attorney … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-4: The Charter Protects Proms
Two graduating high school students in Ontario launched a Charter challenge to their school principal’s decision to have a mandatory breathalyser test at their prom. They argued that the mandatory test was a violation of their s. 8 Charter right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure. Justice … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-4: Spoiled Sperm
The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently upheld a trial judge’s decision that human sperm is property. The case involved a B.C. man who was a representative for a class action of 400 plaintiffs who had stored their sperm with a laboratory at the University of British Columbia prior to … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-4: A Will Against Public Policy
Law students are taught in Wills and Estates law that a Will can be set aside as being against public policy, but rarely does this possibility become a reality. However, in January, 2015 a Superior Court Justice in Ontario set aside the Will of Emanual Spence for exactly that reason. Rector Spence, … [Read more...]
Call for Contributors! Write for LawNow!
We are looking for contributors to Volume 40 of LawNow. We welcome the 40th volume of LawNow with some amazement. Our journey from a small in-house newsletter to the sophisticated and engaging online journal that LawNow is today has been both challenging and immensely rewarding. And, it has only … [Read more...]
New website from CPLEA: Laws for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta
The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA) is excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Laws for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta website. The new Laws for Landlords and Tenants website reflects the feedback CPLEA received from landlords and tenants across Alberta. It … [Read more...]
If your Employment Ends… Laws for Tenants in Alberta
With oil prices dropping significantly and Target closing its doors, thousands of Albertans have lost their jobs. Many thousands more are worried everyday that they could lose their job. The Centre for Public Legal Education (CPLEA) has created a new tip sheet for Alberta tenants who are having … [Read more...]
Bench Press 39-3: New Duty of Honest Performance
The Supreme Court of Canada issued an interesting decision recently in the area of contract law. It began by stating: “Canadian common law in relation to good faith performance of contracts is piecemeal, unsettled and unclear.” Clearly, this was an unsatisfactory state of affairs that the Court was … [Read more...]