Access to Justice
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May 13, 2025
Copyrights and AI: The balancing act between automation and ownership
At a time when a great majority of industries are making a shift or pushing for generative AI (GenAI) technology, one is encouraged to ask: how can a publisher make use of GenAI, and how does that play into copyrights, particularly at a time when it is more important than ever to keep work copyrighted?
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May 13, 2025
Proper procedure trumps moral outrage in successful appeal
“Hard cases make bad law” is an adage dating back to 1837. It stands for the proposition that cases that spark moral outrage should not be used as precedent for sentencing. Caleb Nettleton is no stranger to cases that result in moral outrage.
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May 12, 2025
Alberta government contravened access to information law, information commissioner’s report finds
An investigation by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta has found that the province’s government bodies have refused information access requests in contravention of provincial access-to-information legislation.
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May 12, 2025
Opportunities for effectiveness and efficiencies in the criminal justice system
As the U.S. experience shows, tougher penalties do not reduce crime. It is heartening that the new government’s election campaign steered clear of “tough on crime” rhetoric, which increases costs and unfairness of the criminal justice system without making our communities safer.
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May 09, 2025
Law commission seeks proposals for new law reform projects
The Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) is seeking public proposals for new law reform projects.
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May 08, 2025
Prisons and pets
In my practice as a prison law lawyer, I encountered a situation that has received little notice. I found that many inmates who were recently incarcerated struggled more with the loss of their pet than with being sent to prison.
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May 07, 2025
CBABC honours lawyers for exceptional contributions to legal community
The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC) has recognized the achievements of three of the province’s lawyers with awards presented on May 3.
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May 07, 2025
Nova Scotia releases latest accessibility plan
Nova Scotia has released its latest multi-year accessibility plan as part of an ongoing bid to become more accessible to those with disabilities.
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May 07, 2025
Successful appeal includes ‘air of reality’ defence
Two Moose Jaw, Sask., men had a violent encounter. Vincent William Picken was convicted of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing Shaun Holmes in 2020. Picken claimed he acted in self-defence after Holmes allegedly assaulted him and set his dog on him.
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May 07, 2025
A client’s capacity to instruct counsel
Lawyers have an obligation to ensure that their clients have capacity to give them instructions. But what do you do if you suspect that your client may have lost that capacity?