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A good memoir inspires its readers to reflect on their own lives — those actually lived, and those that might have been. Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law, the new memoir by former Supreme Court chief justice Beverley McLachlin, does just that.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 @ 12:35 PM
Scheer’s call for SNC Lavalin inquiry during election dangerous precedent | Julius MelnitzerIt may just be the brouhaha over Andrew Scheer’s dual citizenship that made me link Donald Trump’s vow to “jail Hillary” and “lock her up” with the Conservative leader’s pledge — in the middle of an election campaign, no less — to launch a judicial inquiry into Justin Trudeau’s conduct in the SNC Lavalin scandal. ... [read more]
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 @ 12:13 PM
Pharmacare in spotlight during 2019 election | Lisa FeldsteinCanada is recognized worldwide for its universal health care. We rarely have to pay when we visit a doctor or a hospital. Our system is predicated on medical need rather than ability to pay, and this model has become part of the Canadian identity. ... [read more]
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 @ 10:57 AM
Indigenous issues slowly disappear from election 2019 | Pamela PalmaterThe unofficial slogan for the 2015 Liberal election campaign was “there is no relationship more important to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.” It was a mantra shared repeatedly by Justin Trudeau pre- and post-election and stood in stark contrast to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s adversarial relationship with First Nations. In fact, it was Trudeau’s election promise to make Indigenous issues a political priority, together with his commitment to a nation-to-nation relationship grounded in respect for Indigenous rights, that helped his party win the Indigenous vote. ... [read more]
Friday, October 11, 2019 @ 1:08 PM
Struggle for original freedom in Quebec daunting proposition | Barry W. BusseyThe major party leaders all agree that Quebec’s An Act respecting the laicity of the State is a serious breach of Quebecers’ religious freedom. However, not one of them is willing to say what concrete efforts they would undertake to oppose the legislation. ... [read more]
Wednesday, October 09, 2019 @ 2:25 PM
On information highway, we’re all bozos on the bus | Bruce McDougallCanada’s privacy commissioner, Daniel Therrien, wants more power. He could get it from a broader interpretation of Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Among other things, Therrien thinks PIPEDA gives Canadians the right to be forgotten on the Internet, and he thinks his office should ensure that it does. ... [read more]
Tuesday, October 08, 2019 @ 2:16 PM
IP, Standards Council of Canada problem at election time | Ken ChasseThe Standards Council of Canada is engaged in a public relations campaign emphasizing: (1) the large part that it is playing in the federal government’s high-level promotion of preserving IP (intellectual property), particularly so large databases of data and the creation of innovation-creating, Silicon Valley-type “clusters” in Canada; and, (2) its invitation to the business community to work with the council in the development of innovation in conjunction with standardization. ... [read more]
Tuesday, October 08, 2019 @ 10:55 AM
Why legal aid matters in this federal election | Patricia HebertTake a look at the people in your neighbourhood, where you live or work — the people that you meet when you’re walking down the street, as the Sesame Street song says. Some, you can’t help but notice, are already in trouble — people asking for money, or sleeping on the street. But others who might look like they have it all under control could be one legal issue away from personal disaster. ... [read more]
Monday, October 07, 2019 @ 8:41 AM
Lawyers and cabbage | Marcel StrigbergerI am often asked how a lawyer who retired two years ago, spends his day. How about cabbages? That’s right. Buying or trying to buy a cabbage. ... [read more]
Friday, October 04, 2019 @ 12:12 PM
A tale of two taxpayers: the wealthy client | Dale BarrettThe Tax Court of Canada is a great equalizer. It allows taxpayers to have their case heard before an impartial judge who will apply the law consistently — regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Outside the four walls of the court, however, there is an inequality hiding in plain sight. ... [read more]
Friday, October 04, 2019 @ 11:30 AM
Succession planning: The elephant in the law firm | Stephen BinderI have been working with lawyers and law firms for a good part of my four and a half decades as an accountant and strategic adviser, and I can say this with some confidence: lawyers aren’t quite like everybody else, at least when it comes to the issue of retirement. While the rest of the world dreams of kicking back and relaxing after a lifetime of work, many lawyers — especially those who have risen to the upper echelons of their firms — seem terrified at the prospect of not coming to the office. In fact, one recent survey suggests that nearly four out of five senior partners never want to retire. ... [read more]
