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This spring, the Ontario government announced drastic cuts to legal aid in Ontario. The Legal Aid Ontario budget was cut by almost 30 per cent and funding was eliminated for refugee and immigration cases. This meant deep cuts to clinics and services, striking hard at the province’s most vulnerable inhabitants. These cuts were felt especially strongly in the larger centres, including Toronto.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 @ 11:11 AM
Divorce no longer a social taboo | Steve BenmorThere once was a time when divorce was considered shameful. Even the word was whispered quietly from one person to another. Divorce was an embarrassment; it was rare, avoided and considered a failure. ... [read more]
Monday, July 22, 2019 @ 2:13 PM
Crowning achievement | Kurt SandstromIn May, the B.C. government announced the establishment of a new Crown agency for the delivery of support enforcement services. For the past 30 years, government delivered the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP) under contract with a private company. During this time, government remained responsible for the legislation that directed enforcement services, and for the policies under which the program was delivered. The recent change moves the services closer to government. ... [read more]
Friday, July 19, 2019 @ 11:33 AM
Government inaction on saliva test data risks wrongful convictions | Kyla LeeThere’s something inherently insulting in the fact that as Canadian citizens we are not permitted to have access to the data, research and information about saliva testers that has been collected by the government. After the approval of the Abbot SoToxa device, a saliva testing device designed to measure tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in the blood, earlier this month, one would expect that government would release the basis of its approval. ... [read more]
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 @ 10:34 AM
Knowledge of technology requirement in Federation of Law Societies’ Model Code of Conduct | Ken ChasseWhat follows is a message I recently sent to: ... [read more]
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 @ 10:43 AM
HIV decriminalization changes welcome but not enough | Ryan PeckFor many years, Canada has had the very unfortunate distinction of being a world leader in criminalizing people living with HIV. However, the law is finally, albeit slowly, being brought in line with science and human rights in a manner that is supportive of HIV-related care, treatment, and prevention. ... [read more]
Monday, July 15, 2019 @ 9:48 AM
Legal and communication teams: All together now | Wojtek DabrowskiEvery day inside large corporations, the legal and communications teams get in each other’s way. ... [read more]
Friday, July 12, 2019 @ 10:26 AM
Why animals earned rightful place at humanities congress | Victoria ShroffIn part one of this series Animals: Family at home, property at court, I was explaining how interesting it was to be part of the global Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences taking place at UBC in early June and to have had the privilege to be invited to present on animal law. Great to see animal law taking its rightful place at the table as bona fide study and practice area. ... [read more]
Thursday, July 11, 2019 @ 11:52 AM - Last Updated: Monday, July 15, 2019 @ 1:06 PM
Upside to Legal Aid Ontario changes | Sam GoldsteinChanges to how Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) pays for bail hearings is an improvement to access to justice in Ontario. ... [read more]
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 @ 3:28 PM
If you sign leaseback agreement, you may be a builder | Dale BarrettIf you are or your client is one of the many thousands of people who have purchased a new condo unit for the purpose of renting it out and if you or they have signed a leaseback agreement with a builder or another company, you should be aware of the potential pitfalls. ... [read more]
Tuesday, July 09, 2019 @ 11:46 AM
Why sometimes, Latin is your only choice | Lawrence DavidLegal practitioners, their clients and casual observers often find humour in the legal profession’s habit of invoking Latin expressions and doctrines in everything from contracts to wills and legislation. Expressions like de minimis non curat lex, quantum meruit, ab initio and res ipsa loquitur are only a few chuckle-inducing examples. Another is mutatis mutandis, which invokes the notion of mutation — a notion the modern mind is more likely to associate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than with the legal profession. ... [read more]
