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Ontario Court of Appeal Finds Mid-Election Changes to Toronto City Council Constitutional
Last week, the Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”) released a contentious, split decision in Toronto (City) v Ontario (Attorney General), 2019 ONCA 732 [Toronto] in which they adjudicated the constitutionality of the Better Local Government Act, 2018, SO 2018 C-11 ("BLGA"). The ONCA majority declared the BLGA to be constitutional, with no violations of section […]
Judicial Biography: Justice Michael J. Moldaver
Post 3/9 in TheCourt.ca's Judicial Biography Series (Fall 2019). If we were to ask what it is we expect from our criminal justice system there are four thoughts that come to mind. … First, I want a justice system that delivers quality justice in a timely and efficient fashion. … Second, I want a justice […]
Judicial Biography: Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella
Post 2/9 in TheCourt.ca's Judicial Biography Series (Fall 2019). Judges in my country have until they are seventy-five [before they must step down from the bench]. We are independent and have tenure until then so that we can be impartial, risk being unpopular, and be able to do things that protect minorities. Judges are not […]
Judicial Biography: Chief Justice Richard Wagner
Post 1/9 in TheCourt.ca's Judicial Biography Series (Fall 2019). In this Guest Post, Student-at-Law Heather Donkers discusses the Chief Justice's career as a member of the Quebec civil bar and priorities in leading the Supreme Court of Canada. Since his appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada (the “Court”) in 2012, now-Chief Justice Richard Wagner […]
Judges are Human Too: Introducing TheCourt.ca’s Judicial Biography Series
Canadians can take pride in our relatively depoliticized and merit-based judicial appointment process and in the high calibre of judges who continue to make up our final court of appeal. Yet it would also be fallacious to assume that our top jurists do not approach their work with philosophies that have been shaped by their professional and judicial experiences.
Appeal Watch: Fate of Federal Greenhouse Gas Legislation is Up in the Air
How urgent is the need for coordinated national action on climate change? According to the Court of Appeal for Ontario (“ONCA”), it is urgent indeed. On June 28 2019, the ONCA found, by a 4-1 majority, that the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (“GGPPA”or “the Act”) is a valid exercise of Parliament’s jurisdiction over […]