THE COURT OR THE LAW? In the much criticized 2015 Saskatchewan Federation of Labour decision of the Supreme Court of Canada the criticism focussed personally on Justice Rosalie Abella, who wrote the […]
Interpreting the Charter of Rights: Tablets of Stone or The Living Tree
What Canada’s Charter of Rights says, like the US Bill of Rights, is always subject to interpretation. And interpretations are always subject to debate and strong criticism of the court. The Interpretation […]
Minimum Sentences for Child Pornography
Background: Pornography showing young children forced into in sexual activities is absolutely disgusting. Anyone convicted of creating or possessing child pornography should be sentenced to appropriately severe penalties. Canada’s Criminal Code had […]
A Response to the Critics Who Demonize Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Law
Introduction Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has been one of the most controversial medical issues in Canada, second only to abortion. In this post I take what has become a minority position […]
Canada Needs Laws Governing Protests
Protests, demonstrations blockades and occupations that are now are facilitated by social media are growing in size and popularity. And so are the damages they inflict on people and businesses who are […]
Lessons in Protest Management Learned from the Emergencies Act.
Protests, blockades and other forms of civil disobedience are growing in popularity in Canada; and the federal government depended on a blunt instrument – the Emergencies Act (the “EA”) as the way […]
The Abortion Debate Needs More Thought and Less Emotion
By now the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, which overruled Roe, is common knowledge. But what these two decisions actually decided is often misunderstood or misrepresented. And the problems they are […]
Why Canadians’ Civil Rights Aren’t Guaranteed By Our Charter of Rights
In early December 2021 Fatemeh Anvari, a Quebec Teacher, was removed from her Grade 3 classroom for wearing her hijab at work. (She wasn’t fired but assigned to other duties.) She was […]
How to Fix MAID and Why the Government Won’t Do It
Canada’s MAID law has for decades been a failed attempt to use the criminal law to regulate a medical procedure that is within provincial jurisdiction. That is using the wrong tool for […]
The MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) Debate is the Abortion Debate All Over Again
Introduction 2,420 years ago Socrates was in prison awaiting execution. One of his followers begged him to escape, saying “But Socrates, you have been condemned to death.” In refusing to escape, Socrates […]
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