Pulse
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August 26, 2025
The accidental lollipop order: A cautionary tale
In an unusual twist of events, a seven-year-old boy inadvertently ordered 70,000 lollipops via Amazon, triggering a cascade of carton deliveries that quickly turned his family’s home into a logistical and sugary nightmare.
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August 26, 2025
On being an old white guy commenting on legal issues
I got into a bit of a dustup with a lawyer on LinkedIn the other day. She wrote something that I did not agree with, which was clothed in reverence for human rights, so I countered with my usual intelligent and incisive commentary, informed by my long history in the legal profession.
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August 26, 2025
View from inside prison: The daily struggle
I wrote a lot of letters while in prison. Letters and phone calls (which can only be outgoing) were a lifeline for me, reminding me there was another life I would be going back to.
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August 25, 2025
BMKP Law appoints Terra Klinck as managing partner
BMKP Law has named Terra Klinck managing partner of the firm.
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August 25, 2025
Lawyer and diplomat Karine Asselin appointed Permanent Representative to ICAO
Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand and Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland have announced the appointment of Karine Asselin as Canada’s Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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August 25, 2025
The Friendly Bar Series, No. 9: Where everyone knows your name — The rural advantage in legal practice
I used to believe that meaningful legal work required the energy of skyscrapers and the anonymity of big-city courthouses. But somewhere between the winding back roads of Lanark and the worn wooden benches of Perth in Ontario, I discovered a quieter kind of purpose.
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August 25, 2025
When human rights meet bureaucracy: The unseen power of tribunals
In the intricate tapestry of justice, where the grand pronouncements of courts often capture headlines, a quieter, yet profoundly impactful, spectacle unfolds daily within administrative tribunals. These specialized bodies, designed to efficiently resolve disputes in specific areas like social benefits, immigration, or labour relations, wield significant power. But what happens when their specific mandates collide with the overarching principles of human rights?
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August 25, 2025
Increased judicial intervention to correct unfairness at key tribunals
Ontario’s administrative tribunals are facing increased scrutiny by the courts for unfairness in dismissing claims brought by tenants, landlords, employees, car accident victims and people who believe they have experienced discrimination or are seeking disability benefits.
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August 25, 2025
With law firms, there’s no such thing as a free ice cream cone
Those of you who read my stuff know I am not the world’s biggest fan of law firms who address mental health issues by offering pizza and yoga classes, while refusing to acknowledge that the principal cause of their people’s suffering is overwork.
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August 22, 2025
PM removes tariffs on U.S. goods covered by CUSMA, 85% of trade with U.S. now tariff-free
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced today that the Canadian government is removing all of Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods specifically covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The decision will become effective Sept. 1 and matches what the United States has implemented. “In short, Canada and the U.S. have now re-established free trade for the vast majority of our goods,” the prime minister said in a press conference.