Constitutional
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January 17, 2024
Alberta court rules former children’s ministers need not be questioned in class action
The Alberta Court of Appeal has allowed the appeal of former children's services ministers in a case where children were alleged to be harmed due to the province’s failure to sue itself in regards to delayed care plans.
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January 17, 2024
RCMP must follow up on race data from officers: scholar
A new RCMP pilot project aimed at examining officers’ perceptions of race is a positive step toward building equality — but its effectiveness depends on whether the force uses the results to identify “at-risk” officers, strengthen accountability and engage in early intervention, says a human rights scholar.
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January 15, 2024
Freedom of religion is not absolute, B.C. judge says in dispute over church records
A B.C. judge has ruled against Jehovah’s Witness elders who fought the disclosure of documentation to two former congregants, saying that while the elders' religious freedoms had been violated, that violation could be reasonably justified under s. 1 of the Charter.
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January 08, 2024
When will government recognize true cost of trial delays? | Bruce Baker
COVID can no longer be used as an excuse for the lack of process to place individuals on the bench. The federal and provincial government’s lack of attention to this matter provides some reason to doubt the present administration’s ability to deal effectively with a complicated vetting process, or they are complicating matters by looking to provide avenues of patronage to ideological supporters of their choosing.
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January 05, 2024
Citizenship Act provisions violate equality, mobility rights under Charter: Ontario court
An Ontario judge has declared federal legislation which prohibits Canadian citizens born abroad from passing citizenship on to their children automatically if their children are also born abroad to be unconstitutional.
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January 03, 2024
B.C. concerned ruling ‘temporarily prevents province from regulating where hard drugs are used’
The chief justice of B.C.’s Supreme Court has put the brakes on provincial legislation which would restrict public consumption of illegal substances, saying allowing the law to come into force would cause “irreparable harm” to people who use drugs.
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January 02, 2024
Newfoundland and Labrador initiates accessibility plan
Newfoundland’s government has launched its first accessibility plan. The Newfoundland and Labrador Accessibility Plan spans Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2026, according to a recent news release.
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December 21, 2023
Yoga sessions for prisoners give new meaning to the term serving a stretch
The path to redemption may be found through a tightly held Downward Dog. Yoga instructor Cathy Manuel teaches prison inmates to stretch, hold poses and control their breathing – ways in which to calm themselves and find their own sense of “empowerment.” It is a striving to find inner peace — and, for some, to let go of anger. Manuel, a 52-year-old hailing from Moncton, N.B., is executive director of Freeing the Human Spirit, an organization promoting the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of inmates in Canada’s prison system.
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December 18, 2023
Uncivil behaviour on rise amongst lawyers: report
Lawyers’ poor treatment of each other has become worse post-pandemic, according to a report by the Toronto Lawyers’ Association. The study, based on a recent survey involving 332 respondents from both Toronto and throughout Ontario, found that there has been a decline in “civility and professionalism” in the legal profession ever since lockdowns, self-isolation and other public health measures came to an end.
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December 12, 2023
Fire order violated Charter, but reasonable due to balancing of rights and risk: B.C. judge
A B.C. judge has ruled Vancouver’s fire chief violated a woman’s Charter right to life, liberty and security of the person when she ordered a homeless encampment to be cleared, but also found the order was reasonable because the fire chief engaged in a proportionate balancing of rights and safety risks.