2021 was a momentous year for the country’s highest court as we bid adieu to the trailblazing Justice Rosalie Abella, retiring after 17 years on the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or “the Court”). We witnessed the swearing in of Justice Mahmud Jamal, the first racialized puisne justice to be appointed to the SCC in […]
In Northern Regional Health Authority v Horrocks, 2021 SCC 42 [Horrocks], the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) held in a 6-1 decision that mandatory dispute resolution provisions under labour legislation confer exclusive jurisdiction to the designated decision-maker, usually a labour arbitrator. As a result, unionized employees will have little to no legal […]
Legislation against strategic lawsuits against public participation [“anti-SLAPP legislation”] is not a blanket legal apparatus. Parties cannot get claims against them dismissed simply because their expressions are in relation to matters of public interest. Lascaris v B’nai Brith Canada, 2019 ONCA 163 [Lascaris] is a case that explores this concept further. Factual Overview The […]
In December 2017, the Canadian government announced changes to its Canada Summer Jobs ("CSJ") program that sparked debate over the program's constitutionality. CSJ is a funding subsidy designed to provide students with summer work opportunities. Under the program's new changes, organizations applying for the funding—small businesses, non-profits, and other community organizations—were required to check a […]
On December 15th 2017, the Supreme Court released its decision in British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal v Schrenk, 2017 SCC 62 [Schrenk], which deals with the question of whether discrimination “regarding employment” can ever be perpetrated by someone other than the complainant’s employer or superior in the workplace. The following post will discuss the case […]
After finding the mandatory minimum sentence for drug possession for the purpose of trafficking (contrary to s. 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, SC 1996, c 19 [CDSA]) violated s. 12 of the Charter (R v Lloyd, 2014 BCPC 8 (CanLII) [Lloyd]) in January 2014, Galati J. of the Provincial Court of British Columbia has […]
On June 15, 2012, Justice Smith of the British Columbia Supreme Court effectively created an exception to the Criminal Code to allow for physician-assisted suicide. The trial judgement Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) was discussed briefly in a previous post on The Court. Justice Smith gave Parliament a year to amend the laws surrounding assisted suicide, and the Government of Canada appealed […]
At the moment, attention is focused on the United States Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) controversial oral hearings on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act cases. However, arguments for a more important case for international lawyers took place on 28 February 2012. On that date, SCOTUS Justices heard arguments in Kiobel v Royal Dutch Petroleum, 621 F.3d […]
While similar in many ways, the Canadian and Israeli legal systems are quite distinct. A striking divergence can be observed by comparing the Israeli and Canadian Supreme Courts’ approach to public interest standing. Through an access to justice perspective, this post shall first explain the Israeli model, then provide an overview of the Canadian model, […]
