We hear a lot today about people following their conscience. Conscience is more than mere preferences and choices. It is about one’s values, spiritual worldview and visceral sense of right and wrong. Few employees want to compromise on their deepest conscientious beliefs for their jobs. These … [Read more...]
Bear With Me: Law for little ones
Children, even from infancy, learn about rules. They are told not to run with sharp objects, not to touch a hot stove, and that when darkness falls, they will be expected to go to bed. As children grow, they learn about the rules that govern the world around them. They begin to learn that they exist … [Read more...]
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
There is clear scientific consensus that anthropogenic climate change is happening and will cause unavoidable and irreversible impacts. Despite the full implications of climate change remaining uncertain, there is a recognized need to act locally, provincially, nationally and internationally in … [Read more...]
Criminal Acts in Children’s Stories
Many years ago I defended a young man on a charge of “criminal harassment”. This was shortly after the federal government added this crime to our Criminal Code. The offence involves repeatedly following or communicating with another person when you know that the other person does not want to hear … [Read more...]
Searching for Hopeful Signs in a Dark Wood, Rapidly Shrinking: Laws to address the climate emergency
Missing In Action Donald Trump continues to audition for the job of World’s Greatest Practical Joker. You may have heard about the pending release of a new book by Edward Russo, entitled Donald J Trump: An Environmental Hero. Russo is a consultant who has advised Trump. He is also a staunch Trump … [Read more...]
Do Natural Objects Have Legal Rights?
In 1972, Christopher D. Stone wrote an article entitled “Should Trees Have Standing? - Towards Legal Rights for Natural Objects”. This article is still, even today, mentioned every time there is a discussion on legal rights and natural objects. In his article, Stone suggested that we give legal … [Read more...]
Solitary Confinement is a Human Rights Issue
Mahatma Ghandi once said: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” Canada has used solitary confinement for prisoners for decades. In the past several years, solitary confinement has been the subject of criticism from civil libertarians and mental health … [Read more...]
Editing Tools
Using tools to analyze and measure language simplifies plain language writing and editing. At CPLEA, we use a combination of tools to look at where and how to clarify our writing: Microsoft Word: The most common plain language editor has some powerful built-in features. Hemingway Editor: Loyal … [Read more...]
What’s a member and what rights does a member have?
A recent Ontario Court of Appeal case, Aga v. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Canada (Aga), provides some insight into the vexing question of the extent of “member” rights in not-for-profit organizations. Although the idea of such rights seems straightforward, it is anything but. The … [Read more...]
Alberta’s New Condominium Regulations: Rental deposits
This article is part of a multi-part article series on Alberta’s new condominium regulations. Stay tuned for our next article on condominium insurance. On January 1, 2020, revised condominium governance regulations came into effect in Alberta. One of the changes has to do with rental deposits. As … [Read more...]
