How will Courtrooms Deal with Obesity Epidemic?
Section 11(b) of the Charter states, 11. Any person charged with an offence has the right… (b) to be tried within a reasonable time; The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed in R. v. Finta the…
Legal Reform
Conflict of Interests Taskforce Reports
The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) has adopted the recommendations of its Task Force on Conflicts of Interest. Background on the Task Force and their report can be found on the CBA website. CBA President Bernard…
Colour Conscious Justice: Towards a Colour Blind Justice System
Is the justice system blind to colour? Jim Rankin and Betsy Powell of the Toronto Star pose this question in an article that is part of the newspaper’s series on Crime and Punishment. The series…
Award for Most Activist Judge Goes To…
The US Supreme Court seems to receive a lot more attention than its Canadian counterpart. In part because it plays such a decisive role in US politics. The structure of the American political system may…
Should Online Gambling be Legal?
Last week the London Free Press shared findings on online gambling by June Cotte, an Associate Professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Cotte interviewed regular gamblers at…
In Defense of Free Speech…
On June 28 2008, the Canadian Human Rights commission dismissed the complaint against Maclean’s magazine (Rogers Media) concerning an article by Mark Steyn, and rightly so. (The complainants held that the article, among others, established…
New Copyright Bill C-61 Rallying Canadians
Copyright reform may not seem like the sexiest of issues, but it has caught the attention of Canadians and launched itself to the front of the political agenda. The membership of Fair Copyright for Canada…
Problems with New Impaired Driving Legislation
As part of my series on the Tackling Violent Crime Act, I’d like to discuss the new changes to the drunk driving provisions of the Criminal Code. The need for reform To begin, the extent…
The Liability of Saying Sorry
One of the hallmarks of properly managing disasters or scandals for a company is providing a genuine apology to the public. It fosters good-will, and indicates a willingness of the corporate entity to make changes…
Promoting Access to Justice
Warren Winkler, chief justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal, raises the issue in today’s Star of the problem of access in our justice system due to rising costs and lengthening delays. He identifies measures…
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…
Global Terrorist Threat “Overblown”
Don’t believe the hype Twenty years ago the classic Hip Hop group, Public Enemy, said in their hit song, Some media is the whack You believe it’s true, it blows me through the roof Suckers,…