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In 2014, the Conservative government passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act which came into force on Dec. 6 later that year. The Act called for a five-year review since coming into force or by December 2019. To date, no review or attempts to review the Act has taken place.
Friday, August 14, 2020 @ 8:55 AM
Letter to the Editor: Freedom of conscience plays vital roleJust wanted to send a quick note to let you know how much I appreciated the article, Blazing the trail: Prototypical freedom, by Barry Bussey. ... [read more]
Thursday, August 13, 2020 @ 3:44 PM
Schools reopening amid COVID-19 create questions of equity and access | Marvin ZukerOn July 31, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that it would allow parents to choose between sending their children to school in the fall or taking part in school board-provided remote learning. ... [read more]
Thursday, August 13, 2020 @ 1:25 PM
Revenue generation: What law firms can learn from tech companies | Sumathi PunditFor years, tech companies have been leading the way when it comes to creating scalable revenue engines. With many tech darlings like DocuSign, HubSpot and Salesforce experiencing extremely fast growth and market domination, it begs the question — what’s their secret sauce? ... [read more]
Thursday, August 13, 2020 @ 11:00 AM
Family law paralegals: Finding the right role | Nicholas BalaThe growing number of self-represented litigants in family law cases is such a concern that the Law Society of Ontario prepared a Consultation Paper proposing a role for paralegals in family cases. There is an obvious attraction to having lower cost services from paralegals, but there are significant concerns with the proposals for Family Legal Services Providers. ... [read more]
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 @ 8:27 AM
Navigating the modern courtroom: Embracing the change | Karen HeathThe incessant tap-tapping of an enthusiastic typist is part of the steady thrum of courtroom din that you become accustomed to during a lengthy matter. The feverish note taking of a second chair grasping on to each uttered word from the witness is often punctuated by the distinctive tap of the enter key. A new line, a break in thought, nary a breath taken by the witness; and the melody resumes. For opposing counsel (and maybe even co-counsel) it is likely a nuisance. Depending on the real estate of the courtroom, it may border on intrusive. ... [read more]
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 @ 12:26 PM
You’re being headhunted by a legal recruiter. Now what? | Rahul ParmarImagine this: you are in your second year as a corporate lawyer at a leading law firm. You have just completed your performance review as an associate lawyer for a large law firm. You are exhausted but you have again surpassed the required 1,800 billable hours and were told by the partners that you are a huge asset to the team. Of course, this was at the cost of seeing your friends and family and losing sleep to sit through conference call after conference call late at night about a deal you did not think would ever go through. ... [read more]
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 @ 11:15 AM
Blazing the trail: Prototypical freedom | Barry BusseyFreedom of conscience is a foundational right that is absolutely necessary for a liberal democracy. Invocations of the freedom to hold and act upon a dissenting moral or ethical view may be traced through the centuries, from antiquity into the present. Consider those who, because of conscience, refused to bow to a Babylonian idol, or to offer incense to the Roman emperor; in their resistance, we see the precursors to those pacifists who would not bear arms in the conflagrations of the 20th century, or the ethical vegans who will not compromise their diet or lifestyle today. This freedom to defy political or social pressures posits the individual as having the inherent right to hold and practise a belief that is incongruent with the accepted norm. ... [read more]
Monday, August 10, 2020 @ 1:27 PM
Why so few Black partners in Canada’s top law firms? | Ryan WatkinsThe highest echelons of the top law firms in Canada have a diversity problem. Only one per cent of the partners at the top 40 law firms are Black. Simply put, the largest firms in the country are failing to hire and promote Black lawyers. ... [read more]
Monday, August 10, 2020 @ 1:19 PM
Access to justice by another name | Medina Eve AbdelkaderWith one foot in the legal world, and the other firmly planted in civilian life, law students can view the justice system from a unique vantage point. We have the privilege of being legally literate, but we still remember the feeling of looking at the Criminal Code or reading a complex case and getting lost in the legal rhetoric. ... [read more]
Monday, August 10, 2020 @ 8:19 AM
Stare decisis and equal protection of law: Respect for precedent | Lawrence DavidAbiding by precedents that protect fundamental rights and freedoms is key to upholding the rule of law’s promise of equal protection of the law. Where judicial precedent crystallizes dimensions of liberty, equality and human dignity, or where the evidence shows that discarding the precedent would undermine legal protections, Canadian courts should not overrule or depart from it. ... [read more]
