If everyone is given the right to everything then eventually, no one will have the right to anything. Civil rights (or civil liberties as they are sometimes called) have an important […]
My Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, November 30, 2020
I was invited to make a presentation to this Parliamentary Committee because of my writing about the Donald Marshall case and its application to the nasty violence in the lobster fishery in […]
The Marshall Case: A Deal is a Deal the Supreme Court held. (But What’s the Deal?)
The Ugly Violence in Nova Scotia In the last two weeks there has been escalating violence in Nova Scotia, including assaults, a mob of 200 people threatening Mi’kmaq fishers, and burning down […]
UNDRIP: THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (PART 1 OF 3)
Introduction to This Three-Part Post The Canadian economy has been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and still faces further losses. As we emerge from the lockdowns and try to restore a new […]
UNDRIP: THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (PART 2 OF 3)
part 1 of this post is here PART 2: The BC Government Has Not Enshrined UNDRIP Into Law The B.C. government last year announced, to unanimous applause in the BC Legislature, that […]
UNDRIP: THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (PART 3 OF 3)
part 2 is here PART 3: Enshrining UNDRIP Into Canadian Law Would Do More Harm Than Good If UNDRIP had been declared 50 years ago and approved by Canada then, it might […]
Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s Judicial Record
On September 23 the US non-profit Marshall Project, which analyzes US legal and judicial issues, published its analysis of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s judicial record. It was politely critical. It examined […]
RIP JOHN TURNER: MY PERSONAL MEMOIR
When I first met John in 1961 I disliked him almost instantly. I was a 19-year-old McGill University student who knew everything that was worth knowing. He was a 32-year-old tax lawyer […]
Canada’s WE Scandal: Whose Fault Is It?
In April 2020 the federal Cabinet approved a sole-source contract with a charity called “WE” to distribute close to $1 billion to pay students for “volunteer” activities. On July 3 the contract […]
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy in 2020
Excessive concentration of power in large corporations and lobby groups under capitalism can do a lot of harm. Excessive concentration of power in big government under socialism can also do a lot […]