In Cowper-Smith v Morgan, 2017 SCC 61 [Cowper-Smith], the Supreme Court of Canada (“the Court”) brings back painful memories of first-year Contracts and attempts to clarify the complex equitable doctrine of propriety estoppel despite several differing interpretations. Proprietary Estoppel Estoppel is an equitable doctrine which arises when one party acts on the reliance of the promise […]
Alexandra Murray is currently a JD student at Osgoode Hall Law School. Prior to law school, she earned a degree in economics and worked in the mutual fund industry. Alexandra will be completing her articles at a firm in Toronto with an interest in corporate and securities law. On January 25th, the Ontario Court of […]
You would be forgiven, said Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella at Chief Justice Richard Wagner’s swearing-in ceremony, for forgetting that it is possible for men to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”). A female justice has overseen the SCC for so long that it is tempting to consider male leadership a […]
“Privilege” is a common-law doctrine that prevents the compulsory disclosure of documents or information that is against the public interest. As Justice L’Heureux-Dubé explains: The doctrine of privilege acts as an exception to the truth-finding process of our adversarial trial procedure. Although all relevant information is presumptively admissible at trial, some probative and trustworthy evidence […]
“Enjoy, contribute, learn, teach…” – Professor Simon Fodden, in Slaw, July 2005 It is a privilege to learn the law. To have a legal education is to inherit a robust intellectual tradition that's been shaped and molded by academics, lawyers and judges for hundreds of years. This privilege is compounded by the opportunity law presents to […]
On December 1, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) released First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun v Yukon, 2017 SCC 58 [Yukon], an important decision concerning the interpretation of modern treaties and, in particular, the Crown’s obligations in land use planning processes established by Yukon Final Agreements. Although this case does not change the […]
If one were to write the book on section 7 Charter litigation, I think it would be safe to say that we just started a new chapter.
Do police officers have the power to enter a person’s backyard without express permission from the owner? On January 25, 2018, the Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”) released R v Le, 2018 ONCA 56 [Le], a decision where the majority found the police had lawfully entered a backyard in order to investigate potential criminal activity. What […]
On Sunday, February 4th, the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles will square off in the annual sports spectacle known as the Super Bowl. The National Football League’s (“NFL”) championship game is one of the largest televised events in the world, watched by over 160 million around the world and over 8 million in […]