Obama 0, US Supreme Court 2: Supreme Court Refuses to Revisit Citizens United Decision For political and legal enthusiasts in the United States, this was a real behemoth of a week. The Supreme Court of the United States started it off with a bang – or, really, three bangs. It released three decisions on Monday, […]
On March 26, 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeal in Canada (Attorney General) v Bedford, 2012 ONCA 186 issued a long awaited ruling regarding prostitution laws. Although the decision undercut the overwhelming success the respondents received at the trial level, it nonetheless served a major blow to the Attorney General. The Court of Appeal affirmed that […]
It is not common for TheCourt.ca to comment on tax cases. Tax decisions often seem complicated and, unless you are an accountant, a corporate executive or a tax lawyer, they seem removed from your daily life. At face value, the case of Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited v The Queen, 2011 FCA 308 [Imperial Tobacco] is about […]
Pride in Ontario: Amending the Ontario Human Rights Code Toronto is gearing up for what will be one of its proudest weeks yet. Ontario will not only be celebrating its booming pride community but also celebrating the Royal Assent of Bill 33, or Toby's Act (Right to be Free from Discrimination and Harassment because of Gender Identity or […]
Last week I walked the R v Hutchinson 2011 NSSC 361 decision through the context of sexual assault, informed consent and the use of contraception. For a briefing of the facts, judicial history and decision, please read here. This week, I will apply the case to the murky waters of aggravated assault and the out […]
Linda Gibbons is no stranger to the law, and to the fact that it can be a harsh teacher, given that she has spent a fair amount of time in prison for her anti-abortion picketing activities. Labeled by the media as "peaceful but relentless," Gibbons has served a total of nearly nine years behind bars, […]
Late last week, the Supreme Court of Canada heard the arguments in R v Ryan [2011 NSCA 30], which is shaping up to be a pivotal spousal abuse case in Canada. At the centre of this case is a former high school teacher, Nicole Patricia Ryan (née Doucet), who hired a hit man to kill […]
At some point, we’ve all been there. Be it on Facebook, Twitter, or as the case was for John Baglow and Roger Smith, on a blog, many could quite easily recall an instance in which he or she took to the Internet to discuss the issues of the day. Surely, one need not spend hours […]
Supreme Court Hears Appeal from First Man Convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Law This week, the Supreme Court of Canada is hearing an appeal from Momin Khawaja, the first man to be convicted under the country's anti-terror law (Anti-terrorism Act, SC 2011, c 41). This case has drawn much attention from media in Canada as well […]
Why Yes, A Dingo Stole Her Baby That was the argument that the distraught mother of Azaria Chamberlain has been making for the last thirty-two years. Azaria Chamberlain was only nine weeks old when she disappeared from a campsite in central Australia. Initially, police and the public-at-large pointed their fingers at her parents, particularly her […]