A recent bankruptcy study by my firm found that the average person who files for bankruptcy in Canada is 44 years old. He is likely to be married, may have a mortgage, and owes almost $53,000 in unsecured debt. In fact, the clear majority of insolvent debtors, 77%, are between the ages of 30 and … [Read more...]
Human Rights Laws and Inclusion of New Grounds—Criminal Record
Various provincial and federal jurisdictions choose to protect people from discrimination on various grounds in areas such as employment, services customarily available to the public and tenancy. In some cases, the grounds protected are the same across jurisdictions. In others, court challenges have … [Read more...]
Do we need the Court of Appeal to Weigh in About the Importance of Internet Use in Modern Society?
Why R. v. Brar [2016] ONCA 724 is a waste of court time, money and resources Mr. Brar was a 35-year-old who was convicted of sexual assault, child luring and prostituting a person less than 18 years old and a breach of his bail conditions. He was first time offender. He was convicted of these … [Read more...]
Innovation and the Charitable Sector
The merger of the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation announced on February 1, 2017 has been welcomed by many. The hope is that by joining forces the two organizations can have greater impact on cancer research and support programs. For those who lament the large … [Read more...]
Conflict Between Parents, Part 1: The Effect of Conflict on Children
When parents separate, they must find ways of answering a lot of difficult questions about how they will care for and manage their children. Where will the children live? How much time will each parent spend with them? How will decisions about the children be made? Who will pay child support, and … [Read more...]
Mr. Green from The Company Brings Bloodshed to the Republic
George Orwell famously sought to make writing on politics into an art. It’s important to remember that he wasn’t the only one. So too did a radically different kind of writer, the cocksure American Gore Vidal. I bring up Orwell because I continue to ponder the notion that his dystopian novel 1984 … [Read more...]
Murdoch v. Murdoch
[I did] “haying, raking, swathing, moving, driving trucks and tractors and teams, quietening horses, taking cattle back and forth to the reserve, dehorning, vaccinating, branding, anything that was to be done. I worked outside with him, just as a man would…” Irene Murdoch’s … [Read more...]
No Time Limitations on Sexual Harassment Lawsuits
Introduction Many readers will recall the recent Bill Cosby trial for sexual assault. The crime was allegedly committed in 2004, the criminal charge was laid on December 30, 2015 and the trial occurred in June 2017. It ended in a mistrial because the jury did not return a unanimous verdict. The … [Read more...]
Bankruptcy Increases Among the Young and Old
A recent bankruptcy study by my firm found that the average person who files for bankruptcy in Canada is 44 years old. He is likely to be married, may have a mortgage, and owes almost $53,000 in unsecured debt. In fact, the clear majority of insolvent debtors, 77%, are between the ages of 30 and … [Read more...]
The Reasonable Person
The reasonable person standard in tort law looks at whether a person's unintentional or careless actions mean they are liable for someone else's injuries. Tort law is an umbrella field of law, which aims to correct injustices that have happened between individuals. The courts assess whether the … [Read more...]