In 2012, 14% of lawyers in B.C. practiced outside of Vancouver, Victoria and Westminster. In 2014, 11% of lawyers in Alberta practiced outside of Calgary and Edmonton. In 2018, 22% of lawyers in Saskatchewan practiced outside of Saskatoon and Regina. Note: Most lawyers practicing outside of these … [Read more...]
Crime in Rural Alberta
Rural crime is a problem in Alberta. In the city, if you have a security alarm on your home, you can realistically expect it to be effective. In the country, who is going to hear the alarm? How long will it take for a police response? Before moving to an acreage, I (Dave) spent most of my life … [Read more...]
The Impact of Brexit on the Free Movement of Persons
Citizens of the European Union (EU) are allowed to live and work, without special formalities, in the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA includes the EU’s 28 Member States as well as Switzerland and three non-EU countries - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. This is what we call “free movement of … [Read more...]
Investor-State Dispute Settlement and Climate Action
The recent 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit brought worldwide attention to the need for countries (or ‘states’) to take immediate action on climate change. The Summit was aimed at bringing world leaders together to discuss transformative action plans for addressing the potentially … [Read more...]
International Child Abduction
This article draws on the writer’s papers titled “International Child Abduction: How the Hague Convention On The Civil Aspects on International Child Abduction Operates in Canada” and “Case Comment on the SCC Ruling under the Hague Convention”. Contact the writer for more information on these … [Read more...]
Other Official Languages in Canada
Canada is known around the world as an officially bilingual country. Federally, French and English share equal status as the “official languages.” The same is true in some of the provinces and territories. What is perhaps not known as widely (in southern Canada, at least) is that there are other … [Read more...]
Assurer l’éducation en français : les Franco-Albertains et leurs droits linguistiques
See below for English translation. Les droits linguistiques ont toujours été et sont toujours un sujet de discussion important dans de nombreux secteurs de la société canadienne, notamment : la promotion de l’accès aux services gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux dans les deux langues … [Read more...]
The Constitutional Basis for Bilingualism in Canada
Language is not merely a means or medium of expression; it colours the content and meaning of expression. It is ... a means by which a people may express its cultural identity. It is also the means by which the individual expresses his or her personal identity and sense of individuality. - Ford v … [Read more...]
In Canada and elsewhere, freedom of speech is on the endangered list
Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. These phrases may conjure up Hollywood-style images of noble activists and principled reporters butting heads with those in power – and winning. However, the reality is often far different: surveillance, gag orders, expensive and oppressive lawsuits, and … [Read more...]
Evolution of our Freedom of Expression
We tend to take for granted that in Canada we are generally free to express, and to publish or broadcast, our views and opinions about almost any subject imaginable. However, it was not always this way. In early times, those who espoused views which were not in keeping with the majority, or with the … [Read more...]
