Media outlets lined up like kids on Christmas morning when the Transparency Act’s first public reporting came due. Newspapers across Canada analyzed the online information about the salaries, bonuses, honorariums and travel expenses received by the leaders of First Nations communities. What the Act … [Read more...]
Parental Alienation – Part 2
In the previous part of this article, I talked about Richard Gardner’s concept of parental alienation syndrome, some of the controversy Gardner’s theory raised in the mental health community and the important contributions made by Joan Kelly and Janet Johnston when they distinguish cases of parental … [Read more...]
No Man’s Land: Responses to the Despair of the 1930s
Move then with new desires, For where we used to build and love Is no man’s land, and only ghosts can live Between two fires -C Day Lewis, The Conflict The 1930s was a pivotal decade for the whole sweep of European and, indeed, world history. The decade saw the fascist forces move from strength … [Read more...]
How Debt Can Impact Your Ability To Sponsor An Immigrant To Canada
With the well-documented problems occurring now in many areas of the world, an increasing number of Canadians are considering sponsoring a relative or other person to immigrate to Canada. But is it possible to be a sponsor if you have debt? The answer is yes, but there are limitations. First, … [Read more...]
Interesting Result in Human Rights Supreme Court of Canada Case
A recent Supreme Court of Canada case, Quebec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) v Bombardier Inc (Bombardier Aerospace Training Centre), 2015 SCC 39, provides guidance on the complainant’s burden of proving discrimination. The case law on discrimination provides … [Read more...]
When Children Refuse to Visit: Alienation and Estrangement in Family Law Disputes
Separation is a difficult time for parents, even those who “consciously uncouple” like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. The emotional trauma of separation becomes significantly more challenging, however, when the legal consequences of separation steer parents toward conflict in court rather than … [Read more...]
Whatever Happened to … Confidential Sources at the National Post
"[N]o journalist can give a secret source an absolute assurance of confidentiality." - Supreme Court of Canada, per Binnie J. Introduction People who speak to and inform Canadian journalists often ask to be protected by confidentiality. Journalists depend on these tips and will promise not to … [Read more...]
Progressive Discipline
Introduction When faced with problematic workers, employers are expected to progress through a discipline procedure. In other words, firing the employee should be the last resort. Weak performance and undesirable behaviour can be improved by a series of escalating corrections that involve both … [Read more...]
The Holy Grail
The Ontario Court of Appeal this year in R. v Nguyen [2015] )NCA 278 has decided that the spousal incompetency rule, which forbids spouses to be compelled to testify against each other, and spousal privilege, does not extend to common-law couples [1]. A very clear line has been drawn between those … [Read more...]
Public Television Association of Quebec v. Minister of National Revenue: A case comment
This past July, the Federal Court of Appeal released its decision in Public Television Association of Quebec and Minister of National Revenue (P.T.A.Q.). The decision remains subject to potential appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The outcome reinforces the status of Canadian charity law as an … [Read more...]
