Access to Justice
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June 26, 2024
25 new judges, part three | Norman Douglas
Once the trial begins, there is no rule that prohibits you from asking the Crown to make an opening statement as they do in jury trials.
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June 26, 2024
Importance of social media governance in age of AI | Connie L. Braun and Juliana Saxberg
We are in an era where tweets and other social media messaging very quickly shape public opinion. Hashtags spark movements, campaigns and protests.
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June 25, 2024
25 new judges, part two | Norman Douglas
Generally (specifics to follow), the answer is all about control.
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June 24, 2024
25 new judges | Norman Douglas
The Ontario Court of Justice (Justices of the Peace, family court judges and criminal court judges) currently has approximately 300 members.
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June 21, 2024
Public school boards are bound by Charter; tribunals’ Charter rulings reviewed for correctness: SCC
In an important Charter and standard of review case, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that labour arbitrators and other administrative tribunals “should play a primary role” in deciding Charter issues within their bailiwicks — which Charter determinations courts should review on a “correctness” rather than “reasonableness” standard — and that the Charter applies to Ontario public school boards, thereby protecting board employees’ reasonable expectations of privacy in their workplaces and shielding employees from unreasonable search or seizure by their employers.
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June 21, 2024
National Indigenous Peoples Day: ‘For some reason, I don’t feel lucky’ | Tony Stevenson
Today has been declared National Indigenous Peoples Day. We recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada. Every year, numerous activities are organized across the country on June 21 to showcase the richness and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultural expressions and stories. This holiday was given to my people in 1996 by the then-governor general Romeo Leblanc.
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June 19, 2024
Bill C-73 sparks hope for nature and biodiversity protection
On June 13, 2024, the federal environment minister introduced Bill C-73, the Nature Accountability Bill.
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June 19, 2024
Alberta Court of Appeal murder case illustrates perils of plea bargain rejection
The lawyer for Michael Anthony Roebuck had negotiated a plea bargain with the Crown that would have resulted in a plea of second-degree murder and a much shorter period of parole ineligibility than the Airdrie, Alta., resident received after being convicted of first-degree murder.
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June 18, 2024
Nunavut turns to public in bid to fix child protection system
Family welfare officials in Nunavut are inviting residents to weigh in on developing an “action plan” to fix the territory’s troubled child protection system.
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June 19, 2024
Errors in trial decision no guarantee for successful appeal
Three homicides that occurred in 2007 had police investigators stymied for years. Then, on Dec. 18, 2014, a 101-year-old D-Day veteran, Ernest Côté, was found murdered at his home. Police charged Orleans, Ont., resident Ian Bush with the murder. While Bush was undergoing psychiatric examination and found fit to stand trial, Ottawa police, with the help of forensics, linked the Côté killing to the deaths of the Chief Justice of the Tax Court, Albon Garon, his wife Raymonde and their neighbour, Marie-Claire Boniskos.