Access to Justice
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June 28, 2024
Feds release Canada’s Black Justice Strategy report targeting systemic racism in justice system
The federal government should establish a Black justice portfolio within the Department of Justice to focus on policy development and legal reform to counter systemic racial biases in Canada’s justice system, according to a just-released report.
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June 28, 2024
Crime school | John L. Hill
Two seemingly unrelated news stories that should concern us broke in the past week. The first story concerned the 124 people arrested by Ontario’s carjacking task force. Police say many were out on bail and rereleased after their latest arrest.
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June 27, 2024
CRA warns legal action to recover pandemic benefit overpayments will begin in July
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning that it will begin taking legal action in July against individuals who have not co-operated in returning overpayments from COVID-19 benefit programs, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
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June 27, 2024
Celebrating 20 Years of the Sudbury Mock Trial Competition | Trevor Kestle
Mock trial competitions are not merely contests of legal knowledge. They are arenas where young minds sharpen their advocacy, deepen their understanding of justice and kindle a lifelong passion for the rule of law.
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June 27, 2024
‘Piecemeal’ assessment of evidence results in successful appeal
It is unusual to see a trial judge’s decision overturned in a brief nine-paragraph judgment that, in essence, accuses the judge of improperly assessing the evidence.
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June 26, 2024
25 new judges, part three | Norman Douglas
Once the trial begins, there is no rule that prohibits you from asking the Crown to make an opening statement as they do in jury trials.
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June 26, 2024
Importance of social media governance in age of AI | Connie L. Braun and Juliana Saxberg
We are in an era where tweets and other social media messaging very quickly shape public opinion. Hashtags spark movements, campaigns and protests.
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June 25, 2024
25 new judges, part two | Norman Douglas
Generally (specifics to follow), the answer is all about control.
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June 24, 2024
25 new judges | Norman Douglas
The Ontario Court of Justice (Justices of the Peace, family court judges and criminal court judges) currently has approximately 300 members.
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June 21, 2024
Public school boards are bound by Charter; tribunals’ Charter rulings reviewed for correctness: SCC
In an important Charter and standard of review case, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that labour arbitrators and other administrative tribunals “should play a primary role” in deciding Charter issues within their bailiwicks — which Charter determinations courts should review on a “correctness” rather than “reasonableness” standard — and that the Charter applies to Ontario public school boards, thereby protecting board employees’ reasonable expectations of privacy in their workplaces and shielding employees from unreasonable search or seizure by their employers.