Access to Justice
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November 18, 2024
Successful appeal addresses principles behind sentencing
There have been several cases in Ontario involving the possession of handguns and their use in threatening situations. The sentences imposed upon conviction have been in the range of four years even for youthful first offenders.
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November 14, 2024
Federal government faces proposed class action over abuse of Indigenous children at group homes
The federal government is set to face another proposed class action concerning its historic policy of removing Indigenous children from their communities and families so they could attend provincially- and territorially-run group homes.
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November 14, 2024
Life without parole? | Michael Crowley
A few weeks ago, I read the article by Norman Douglas, a retired judge and former Crown Attorney, in which he suggested that it would be appropriate to bring back capital punishment in certain cases, or failing that. To institute a sentence of life without the hope of parole.
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November 14, 2024
Removal of untranslated English decisions on website won’t end novel lawsuit against SCC: plaintiff
The Supreme Court of Canada’s removal of thousands of pre-1970 (mostly unilingual-English) judgments from its website won’t end an unprecedented Federal Court lawsuit that aims to compel the top court’s registry to fix alleged violations of the Official Languages Act by translating the court’s unilingual decisions into the other official language, says the plaintiff language rights group Droits collectifs Québec.
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November 13, 2024
CanLII sues AI-based legal research platform for alleged data scraping and copyright violations
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has filed a lawsuit against a company behind an AI chatbot over allegations it bulk downloaded over 3.5 million records from CanLII’s website in violation of its terms of service and its copyright in the relevant works.
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November 13, 2024
Newfoundland to add more Crown prosecutors
Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to hire more Crown lawyers following cries of a shortage of prosecutors in the province. On Nov. 13, it was announced the province’s government will be investing nearly $24 million into initiatives to “enhance access to justice and strengthen public trust in the justice system.”
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November 13, 2024
Access to justice and modernization of the family law rules: A holistic narrative
Lack of access to family justice can have profound and damaging effects. Children may be denied parenting time and contact with beloved caregivers; they may be exposed to, and experience, the lasting physical, psychological and financial harms of family violence; and they may grow up in poverty.
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November 13, 2024
Working in prisons: Not a good gig | David Dorson
Prison jobs are bad jobs. Let me qualify that. They can be good jobs in terms of pay, benefits and job security, especially for people with relatively little formal education. That is the main reason many people stay with them. But from the standpoint of the actual daily experience, working in a prison is bad in many of the same ways that being a prisoner is.
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November 13, 2024
Analysis of Nygard bail denial appeal
Peter Nygard is being detained in custody awaiting an appeal from conviction and sentence for sexual assaults that he has been accused of committing between 1988 and 2005. On Oct. 7, 2024, he was denied appeal bail (R. v. Nygard, 2024 ONCA 744).
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November 12, 2024
Ontario Court of Appeal dismisses son’s attempt to blame parents
The fifth commandment, “Honour your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you,” is a commandment and a blessing repeated throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. But does it constitute a legal defence?