With the recent passing of Casey Kasem, known primarily in the US as the voice of the "American Top 40" radio countdown and as the voice of Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons, I thought of one of Kasem's more notorious outings, and one that was an early example of current hot-button topics such as copyright, […]
Just to give you something to look forward to when you’ve finished your exams and papers, the library will have four especially interesting-sounding books available for your reading enjoyment by April 30. First on the list is The Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance and other real laws that human beings have actually dreamed up, enacted, and sometimes […]
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru episode, when Canadian authorities turned away 376 migrants of South Asian origin aboard a Japanese steamship in Vancouver harbour. The South Asian Law Students’ Association (SALSA) at Osgoode Hall Law School will have launched Komagata Maru Week (March 10-15, 2013) and the Komagata Maru Reflections Project. On […]
Having just returned from Scotland this past week, I feel compelled to write about Scots law which, though it is part of the UK (for now), is markedly different from English law. With the referendum on Scottish independence set for September 18 of this year, there has been a tremendous amount of discussion into the […]
The state of Canadian liquor laws and regulations is something that occasionally crops up in op-eds across the country, but then quietly fades away only to flare up again periodically. Although Prohibition in the popular consciousness has a distinctly American flavour, evoking images of Al Capone, speakeasies, and bathtub gin (as an era, it certainly […]
While much of the world's attention on Canadian politics has been focused on the bizarre scenes that have been unfolding in Toronto, the Senate scandal that dominated headlines prior to the Mayor's crack admission has continued apace. Much as in Toronto, the scandal has elicited popular hue and cry for something - anything! - by […]
Louis Riel Day is a day to celebrate the life of the controversial Métis leader and the efforts he made for Métis rights and also to acknowledge Métis contributions to Canada. No doubt you will remember my blog about Louis Riel last year. This year I wanted to focus more on the Métis than Louis […]
The library has been busy lately augmenting its International Law collection. The London Review of International Law is a brand new journal from Oxford (Volume 1 Issue 1 was published September 2013) to which we now have access. It is not available through the catalogue or eResources yet, but it will be. We have also […]
The Canada Gazette is dead. Long live the Canada Gazette! Although long-expected as part of the 2012 Federal budget, the May 8th publication of a regulation made it official - the Canada Gazette will cease to be published in hard copy starting on April 1st, 2014, saving the government about $300,000 annually. This is not, however, […]
Everybody knows the old schoolyard chant of "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me". However, lately there seems to have been a spate of high-profile cases of (alleged) defamation and libel, with varying degrees of success. While the idea of defending one's honour typically conjures up visions of duels […]