Access to Justice
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December 09, 2024
N.B. top court reinstates guilty verdict in impaired driving case
New Brunswick’s High Court has reinstated a man’s impaired driving conviction after it was found the trial judge was right to convict him — despite his rights being violated during talks with police about contacting a lawyer.
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December 09, 2024
Dogs as weapons
In a recently decided case, the Manitoba Court of Appeal upheld a conviction of a woman for assault with a weapon (R. v. Park, 2924 MBCA 93). The weapon was her dog, a six-year-old American pit bull that Park has trained as her pet. The court accepted a victim’s evidence that Park had told the dog to “sic ’em,” and this resulted in bites and injuries to two individuals.
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December 06, 2024
B.C. Court of Appeal overturns order allowing third-party claim in Aboriginal title case
The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld an order adding a First Nation as a defendant in another First Nation’s Aboriginal title claim — but overturned an order permitting the additional First Nation to file a third-party claim, citing potential delays.
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December 06, 2024
Transferred intent comes under consideration in pit bull assault decision
The Manitoba Court of Appeal upheld convictions for a woman found guilty of assaulting two people with a weapon. The weapon was her pet bulldog (R. v. Park, 2024 MBCA 93).
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December 06, 2024
Indoctrination vs. education | Maria Mahmoudian
The story of Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh’s martyrdom during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) serves as a striking example of how indoctrination can infiltrate an education system, shaping the beliefs and actions of youth. Fahmideh, a 13-year-old boy who sacrificed his life by blowing himself up under an Iraqi tank, was heralded as a national hero and martyr. This narrative was used by the Iranian government to mobilize young people for the war effort, embedding ideological conformity within the educational system.
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December 05, 2024
Saskatchewan introduces ‘fair and balanced’ changes to employment laws
Saskatchewan’s government is proposing legislative changes lawmakers say will both support employees and reduce “administrative burden” for employers.
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December 05, 2024
Claims of police trickery dismissed, new trial ordered in B.C. murder case
Leanne MacFarlane and Jeffrey Taylor were fatally shot at a residence in Cranbrook, B.C., on May 29, 2010. Doug Mahon, a gang member, had previously rented the unit.
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December 05, 2024
A path to truth, reconciliation and bridge-building | Tony Stevenson
Good day, everyone. I just wanted to describe the work that we do in the communities, schools, universities and the organizations that invite us to help educate the participants on the history of the First Nations people. This is the history that many of you were never taught in school. Why? I honestly don’t know. Whatever the reason, it was very detrimental to our relationships in this country. If those history books had included the whole truth of Canada’s history, I believe we would all be prospering and living cohesively.
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December 04, 2024
Manitoba enacts new laws, regulations for amateur combative sports
Manitoba now has new laws strengthening safety standards for amateur fighting sports — thus opening the door to the hosing of “combative” competitions. According to a Dec 3 news release, the province’s Combative Sports Amendment Act and its corresponding regulations came into force Dec. 1.
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December 04, 2024
Our land for the future: What NWT PFP means for Indigenous-led conservation
On Nov. 14, 2024, 22 Indigenous partners, alongside the federal and territorial governments and private philanthropists led by Pew Charitable Trusts, gathered in Behchokǫ̀ to celebrate a landmark achievement in conservation and reconciliation: the signing of the Northwest Territories (NWT) Project Finance for Permanence Agreement (NWT: Our Land for the Future Agreement). This agreement represents a transformative step toward long-term, Indigenous-led stewardship of Canada’s northern ecosystems.