Reading Time: 4 minutes Making plans in case something happens to you unexpectedly or you die is not just for older adults. You’re turning 18. It’s time to celebrate! But it’s also time to face the responsibilities of adulthood. And one of those responsibilities is planning for the unexpected. Maybe you’ve heard your parents or grandparents talk about their […]
YOUTH & THE LAW | I’m Turning 18, Now What?
Reading Time: 4 minutes You can hardly wait. You are just a few days (weeks?! months?!) away from turning 18. Freedom! You are dreaming of all the things you can legally do. Turning 18 is seen as a rite of passage. The journey into adulthood. The world sees you as an adult. But being an adult also means you are responsible for your own actions.
YOUTH | Money, Money, Money!
Reading Time: 4 minutes Maybe you have a part-time job. Maybe your parents pay you an allowance. Maybe you make money shoveling snow or cutting grass. In any case, you’ve got money! Opening a Bank Account First step, where do you put this money? Have you outgrown your piggy bank? Maybe a bank account would be more appropriate! If […]
YOUTH & THE LAW | Hit the Gas!
Reading Time: 4 minutes You passed the test. You practiced driving in your parents’ car. You were set to take the road test to get your license. And then COVID-19 hit. And your road test was cancelled. The good news: As of June 30th, you can now book a road test in Alberta! The bad news: Road tests are […]
YOUTH & THE LAW | Medical Treatment: When can I give my own consent?
Reading Time: 4 minutes We are in the middle of a global health crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic. With health on everyone’s mind, now is a perfect time to talk about when you can give your consent to medical treatments, without your parents’ approval. To be clear, by youth we mean anyone under the age of majority in the […]
YOUTH & THE LAW | But Do I Have To Go To School?: Education laws in Alberta
Reading Time: 4 minutes COVID-19 has changed everything! One of the biggest changes for youth? School buildings are closed. But school has not been cancelled! It has simply moved online. So just in case you’ve forgotten how to ‘do school’, this column focuses on the laws about school in Alberta. The Education Act sets out the law for all […]
YOUTH & THE LAW | Social Media Terms of Use: I agree?
Reading Time: 4 minutes We’ve all done it. Scrolled quickly through legal terms and clicked “I Agree” without reading a word. If you’re like me, you think, well how bad can these terms and conditions be? Everyone is using this app. But what exactly are you agreeing to? In this column, we’ll look at the terms of use for […]
YOUTH | Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice System
Reading Time: 6 minutes 20/20: Looking back over the last 20 years In April 2003, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) replaced the Young Offenders Act. The YCJA sets out the justice system that applies to young persons – aged 12 to 17 – charged with an offence in Canada. Children under 12 cannot be charged with a crime. […]
Sexting: What’s the big deal?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sometimes the laws are the same for youth, sometimes they are different. Our new Youth & the Law column aims to help readers better understand legal topics affecting youth today. In this issue, we’re diving straight into a controversial topic among youth today: sexting. What is sexting? Sexting is sending or receiving sexual pictures, messages […]
