Justice Robin Camp is now facing discipline from the Canadian Judicial Council for sexist remarks he made during a sexual assault trial in Alberta. But this high-profile case also raises a much broader issue: How should our outdated judicial discipline system be realigned to fit contemporary values … [Read more...]
Viewpoint
Why our Justice System Works The Mike Duffy trial, now adjourned to November, has revealed the inner workings of our highest political office. The trial has unearthed raw material that will be analyzed by political scientists for years to come, making the trial a seminal contributor to the … [Read more...]
Viewpoint
LawNow and the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA) is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and we would like to thank you – our dedicated LawNow reader – for your ongoing support! LawNow began as an in-house produced newsletter about the law and legal developments in the Alberta … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 39-5: Hundreds of recommendations go unimplemented
Legal Strategy Coalition demands greater government commitment and accountability to ending violence against Indigenous women and girls An alarming study released recently shows that governments in Canada have repeatedly ignored expert recommendations to stop violence against Indigenous … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 39-4: Ten Years – A Look Back At Bullying
What were you doing in 2005? I can easily recall what I was trying to accomplish. I was a grade 9 student at Bathurst High School at the time, trying to get the courage to do something that no one ever thought I would do – come forward as a sixteen-year-old teenager who endured years of bullying. … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 39-3: Canada’s Asbestos Policy: Economics trump global health concerns
Asbestos was once considered so safe it was used as an ingredient in toothpaste. Today asbestos is recognized as a potent carcinogen by health experts and scientists worldwide. Despite this, in Canada it seems economic concerns take precedence over health when it comes to the international trade of … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 39-2: When facing terror, there are limits to what law can achieve
If the attack on Parliament and on Canadian Armed Forces members constituted a failure by the state to exercise its fundamental ‘night watchman’ function, it was probably not a failure of law. It may not necessarily have been a failure of law enforcement. It was certainly a failure of omniscience. … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 39-1: Like hockey, Court’s ‘Mr. Big’ decision clarifies the rule book and the ‘code’
What are Canada’s pre-eminent cultural symbols? Hockey is surely a top contender. The values of the rink are deeply embedded in our broader social values. Another contender is our criminal justice system, which strikes a quintessentially Canadian compromise between individual liberty, and collective … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 38-6: A Bench Mark case indeed!
Just as we were preparing the final touches to this issue of LawNow, my editorial assistant reminded me that we did not have a Viewpoint column. Perhaps I can blame the lead-up to summer time that this omission had slipped my notice. However, we were handed a gift by the Supreme Court of Canada on … [Read more...]
Viewpoint 38-5: Ten Steps to Creating Safe Environments for Children and Youth
A Risk Management Road Map to Prevent Violence and Abuse for all organizations that intersect with young people What constitutes abuse? violence? bullying? harassment? Why do bad things happen in even the best organizations? What is the duty of care and what is your organization’s … [Read more...]