The Khadr Conundrum Raised at UofO
“Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen who was captured by U.S. forces in July 2002 when he was 15 years of age after allegedly throwing a grenade that fatally wounded a U.S. soldier. He is…
Constitutional Law
SCC constitutionalizes diminished criminal responsibility for youths
If I have a theme for this week, I guess it would be “implied constitutional principles.” Following up on the California gay marriage ruling, I have another post today, this time from much closer to…
California becomes second U.S. state to legalize gay marriage
This morning the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s laws restricting marriage to heterosexual couples were unconstitutional. Following a close 4-3 decision, California has become just the second state in America (after Massachusetts) to…
Scalia Openly Condones Torture
Creating a Legal Storm US Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, made his first major television appearance this week on 60 Minutes. Previously he has severely restricted media access, especially in his court, citing his, First…
Free Mumia – Not an American Gangster
Fry That What? The case of Mumia Abu Jamal, on death row in Pennsylvania for killing a white police officer in 1981, is raising some interesting issues surrounding jury selection. The court found that the…
Holocaust Humour Seems Insensitive, to Say the Least
Tasteless Tattoos A recent online prank among bloggers has raised the issue of poking fun around sensitive issues such as the Holocaust. Racial and ethnic humour abounds among comedians, though most prefer to poke…
Age Discrimination – Against the Young
Ageism, or discrimination in the workplace against seniors, is a well known issue in Western societies facing an older Baby Boomer population. But the Times Online reports a case of age discrimination against a teenager….
Lessons from Potential Blogging Libel Suit in Canada
Mark Evans, a former journalist for the National Post and technology blogger, reported on a libel suit launched by Toronto lawyer and political activist, Warren Kinsella. The freedom of expression is protected under s. 2…
Martial Law in North America?
It’s possible, or at least NORTHCOM says so in a news release this month. …Americans can be assured the U.S. military is ready and capable of responding to attacks within the United States. But critics…
Online Hate and the Law
The International Business Services (iBLS) did an excellent summary this week on Online Hate and the Law. They explain how freedom of expression, though necessary to health democracies, do have some limits, as detailed below….
Black Anti-Gun Control
Opposition to gun control is typically associated with lobby groups such as the NRA, largely comprised of white Conservatives. Some bloggers suggest that NRA even put out this publication, described as depicting …people of Asian,…
The Oakes Test and Human Rights Tribunals
Levant on Anti-Homosexual Pastors In an article in the National Post titled, Drug dealers get the benefit of the Charter, but not pastors accused of homophobia, Ezra Levant, founder of the Western Standard and currently…