The inaugural issue of York’s Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy, an online legal journal created and managed by Osgoode Hall Law School students to serve both the school and legal communities, is now available.
"The Review began as a student idea at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year and, with the assistance of faculty advisor Professor Colleen Hanycz and editor-in-chief Sean Lynch [LLB candidate ‘09], the Review has grown from a student idea into a new legal publication," says Patrick Monahan, the dean of Osgoode Hall Law School.
While dedicated to student work, each issue of the Review will publish articles by legal professionals and academics writing on law or legal theory. It will not focus on any one area but plans to cover jurisprudential and legislative activities in Canada and around the world.
The first issue contains a lecture by University of Oxford Professor David Vaver, titled "Chocolate, Copyright, Confusion: Intellectual Property and the Supreme Court of Canada". Vaver delivered this lecture at Osgoode in October 2007 as part of the James L. Lewtas lecture series.
There are also two articles produced by the Review editorial board. The first – "The Right to Counsel: Policy Reasons for Fundamental Reforms to Promote Access to Justice in Light of the Christie Decision" – addresses access to justice issues following Christie v. British Columbia. The second article, titled "In the Wake of VIA Rail: Implications and Future Considerations", discusses human rights concerns and administrative law following the Supreme Court decisions in Council of Canadians with Disabilities v. VIA Rail Canada Inc. and New Brunswick (Board of Management) v. Dunsmuir.
Left: Patrick Monahan
"The Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy is the first all-online legal publication dedicated to both the exploration of law and of governmental policy," says Monahan. "Osgoode Hall Law School is proud of what its students can accomplish. The year-long effort to create and produce this journal evidences the dedication and intellectual curiosity of our students, as well as their desire to constantly challenge themselves."
To read the first issue, visit the Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy Web site. The site will be updated regularly, with more content and features scheduled to be added in the coming weeks.
"I look forward to the next issue of the Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy and know that with continued student involvement and faculty support, the Review will continue to be a success for many years to come," says Monahan.