If you are creator or publisher of original creative works, you will want to know about copyright law. The digital world has made the practical application of copyright more complicated than in the past. What about downloading and file sharing, what about digital rights management? And, in our … [Read more...]
Criminal Defence Law in the North: Part Three
In my earlier two columns, I discussed substantive aspects of criminal law in the North (Part One). I briefly reviewed some aspects of the crimes we deal with in court, some of the underlying causes, and certain aspects of sentencing for those offences (Part Two). I want now to describe some … [Read more...]
Professional Bodies are Subject to Alberta Human Rights Act
A recent Human Rights Tribunal decision, Mihaly v The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, 2014 AHRC 1 (CanLII), (“Mihaly”) about the actions of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), has sparked a fair … [Read more...]
The Protection of Young Workers in Canadian Employment Law
EDITOR'S NOTE The information in this article may be out-of-date. For current information on employment laws for workers under 18 years of age in Alberta, see CPLEA's Youth & Work FAQs. Employment laws are often different for young workers under 18 years of age to protect them from … [Read more...]
Vicarious Liability: The Legal Responsibility of Employers
“It is right and just that the person who creates a risk bears the loss when the risk ripens into harm.” - Bazley v. Curry, 1999 CanLII 692 (SCC) Introduction After the massive train derailment disaster last summer in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, the chief executive of the train company was roundly … [Read more...]
A Film Series: “Do the Rights Thing”
LawNow’s long-time Law and Literature columnist Rob Normey has been deeply involved in the development of a monthly film series called Do the Rights Thing: Standing up for Human Rights in History. The film series was developed by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights and is being … [Read more...]
Organization Launched to Foster Canadian Charity Law
One could do worse than to study charity law to understand some of the key elements in the Canadian legal system. There are the constitutional questions raised by overlapping federal and provincial jurisdiction with respect to the subject matter. There is the use of the common law – progressive … [Read more...]
Protecting Yourself from Consumer Fraud and Scams
Been offered tickets for a free cruise? Received a heartfelt plea to help a distant relative? Had a bank or credit card company email you for your password and account details? You may have been contacted by scammers looking for your money or your personal information. Every year Canadians lose … [Read more...]
What ever happened to … The Law of Sniffer Dog Searches: Part 2
Introduction: The Flux of Law This article illustrates how quickly and remarkably the common law can adjust when judicial principles change and when new judges are appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The common law is generally intended to endure. Judges describe what they do as not … [Read more...]
A Brief Primer on Child Support: Part One
Child support is money paid by a parent toward the living expenses of his or her child. Other people can be required to pay child support, including guardians and stepparents. The duty to pay child support is based on a parent’s obligation, under the old common law, to provide his or her child … [Read more...]
