I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Jim Davies, the general counsel for the Edmonton Public School Board. He gave a group of family law lawyers the educator’s perspective on parenting disputes.1 Today’s dynamic family configurations can be complicated – divorced biological parents, foster … [Read more...]
Changing Terms of Employment
Introduction Darrell Wronko started work at Western Inventory Service Limited (WIS) in 1987, right after graduating from university. He worked at the company for 17 years, including four years as Vice President of National Accounts and Marketing. In 2000, he signed an amended employment contract, … [Read more...]
Tax Problems
As I write this a controversy is playing out in the United States over apparent targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups by local offices of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine if they met American statutory requirements for exemption from tax. Under U.S. law such groups must … [Read more...]
An Overview of Anti-bullying Legislation and Alternatives in Canada
Very few days seem to go by, of late, without Canadians hearing about the alarming consequence of bullying in some form or another. This is particularly true in relation to children and youth. A number of high profile cases have garnered much discussion over the past few years, the latest of which … [Read more...]
The Blackmailer’s Charter: Victims in British Film and Theatre
I recently saw the 1961 British film Victim, starring one of my favorite actors, Dirk Bogarde. Dirk plays the highly successful barrister, Melville Farr, expected by his staff to take silk very soon (that is, become an eminent Queen’s Counsel, with a judgeship in his bright future as well). We see … [Read more...]
New Developments in the Area of Discrimination on the Basis of Family Status
Note: a portion of this article is reproduced with permission from Ablawg.ca “Accommodation for Family Status Required by Federal Human Rights Tribunal for Three Alberta Women” – Ablawg December 22, 2010 All provinces and territories, and the federal government, have human rights legislation to … [Read more...]
After the Flood for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta
There has been substantial flooding in Alberta this spring. This means that there are some tenants and landlords who need information about renting and their rights after a flood. The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta has developed an info sheet to help people understand their rights and … [Read more...]
Helping Children and Teens Deal with Separation and Divorce
In 2008 Statistics Canada estimated that 41% of Canadian marriages would end in divorce before the 30th year of marriage. Most agree that the divorce of parents has a profound impact on the emotional well-being of children. The legal system has recognized this issue and family justice services … [Read more...]
Cronaca Nera: Two True Crime Books From Italy
The Fatal Gift of Beauty:The Trials of Amanda Knox by Nina Burleigh I had largely finished this book when the news came that the Italian Appeals Court – the Court of Cassation – had, on March 26 ruled that American university student Amanda Knox and Italian student Raffaele Sollecito, briefly her … [Read more...]
Overhead Overdone?
During my youth collecting hockey cards was a rite of passage – and a few of my contemporaries continued to amass collections into adulthood. I am not a hobbyist by nature, but I do collect junk mail from cable companies. That’s because I so frequently hear complaints about the number of direct mail … [Read more...]
