COVID-19 has changed everything! One of the biggest changes for youth? School buildings are closed. But school has not been cancelled! It has simply moved online. So just in case you’ve forgotten how to ‘do school’, this column focuses on the laws about school in Alberta.The Education Act sets out … [Read more...]
The Constitutional Right to Marijuana in Canada: R v Parker
If a rule of criminal law precludes a person from obtaining appropriate medical treatment when his or her life or health is in danger, then the state has intervened and this intervention constitutes a violation of that man's or that woman's security of the person ... R v Parker, [2000] OJ No 2787 … [Read more...]
Fixing Canadian Crown Copyright
The federal Copyright Act establishes the legal framework for use of copyright-protected works in Canada. Under the Act, rights-holders have the exclusive right to reproduce and re-use substantial amounts of a work unless such uses fall under one of the statutory exceptions to copyright … [Read more...]
New at CPLEA (Vol 44-5)
In this issue of LawNow, we are highlighting new and updated resources focused on legal issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.COVID-19 - Answers to your questions This page provides information, links and answers to important questions on COVID-19 for Albertans. It summarizes provincial and federal … [Read more...]
1919 by John Dos Passos: A requiem for the defeated and outcasts
I have always intended to work my way through all three volumes of Dos Passos’ U.S.A. trilogy, published between 1930 and 1936 and clocking in at 1,300 pages. During today’s strange pandemic times, I have taken advantage of the opportunity to do so. And I can tell you that, while at times it was a … [Read more...]
Copyright No Plaything: Celebrity Tattoos In Video Games
Tattooed celebrities are abundant; from Shawn Mendes’s fan-designed butterfly, to Drake’s “6 God” praying hands, to the elaborate artwork displayed on the bodies of professional athletes like basketball star LeBron James (by one account more than half of all active NBA players have tattoos) — the … [Read more...]
The Pandemic, Charities and Volunteers
As I write this, the coronavirus pandemic is shining an unexpected spotlight on charities and non-profit organizations. Canada is reputed to have – in economic terms – one of the largest and most dynamic voluntary sectors in the world. It is estimated to account for more than two million jobs and to … [Read more...]
The Law of Unpaid Internships in Canada
For well over 100 years, students in industrial-era trade apprenticeships and professions have learned by ‘watching and doing’ under the supervision of the master craftsman. Historically, there was little or no pay or benefits associated with these tutelages. They were viewed as voluntary … [Read more...]
Volunteering and Income Tax
Whether we volunteer to coach our child’s soccer team, deliver groceries to those who cannot do it themselves or provide pro bono services in our professional capacity, many Canadians (12.7 million in 2013 according to Statistics Canada) gratuitously give their time to others. With over 1.96 billion … [Read more...]
COVID-19: Temporary changes to Alberta’s Employment Standards Code
COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of people’s lives in Alberta, across Canada and around the world. Governments have scrambled to approve stimulus packages, update public health orders, and change laws to respond to this new disease.Alberta declared a public health emergency under the Public … [Read more...]
