Reading Time: 9 minutes For careful observers of Canadian culture and politics, there was an obvious irony attached to the House of Commons motion that was approved in November of 2006, recognizing Quebec’s special place in Confederation. The motion garnered 265 yeas and a mere 16 nays and stated: “Que cette Chambre reconnaisse que les Quebecoises et les Quebecois […]
You Can’t Do or Say That: Constraining individual conduct in a public and commercial world
Reading Time: 8 minutes Greek triple-jumper, Voula Papachristou, was expelled from the 2012 London Olympic Games because of a disparaging and racist tweet she broadcast days before the Games. European soccer players making negative comments about officials on or off the field now face suspension. An 18-year-old Canadian junior water polo athlete received a two-year suspension from the national […]
The Intersection of Law, Language and Culture
Reading Time: 8 minutes Introduction When we think of the intersection of law and language, most of us reflect on the linguistic sides of the issue, such as: questions about why law-makers use certain words as opposed to others, queries about ‘legalese’, and problems of misunderstanding, interpretation and translation. Rarely do we spend much time considering the possibility that […]
Multicultural Family Law Facilitators Project
Reading Time: 6 minutes Project Description This article briefly describes the Multicultural Family Law (MFL) Facilitators project developed by United Cultures of Canada Association, Family Law Office (Legal Aid Alberta) and ASSIST Community Services Centre with financial assistance provided by the City of Edmonton – Community Services. In the first phase of the project, a training program was developed. […]
Comma Law
Reading Time: 7 minutes The writer who neglects punctuation, or mispunctuates, is liable to be misunderstood for the want of merely a comma . . . – Edgar Allan Poe Introduction “Let’s eat, Grandma” or “Let’s eat Grandma.” As the saying goes, “commas save lives.” This adage humorously demonstrates the significance of proper punctuation in determining meaning, […]
