Monday’s Mix

Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award­-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible.

This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Mack’s Criminal Law Blog  2. University of Alberta Faculty of Law Blog 3. StartupSource  4. Peter Sankoff  5. Clio Blog

Mack’s Criminal Law Blog
Avoiding an otiose and absurd result

Carson Bingley was driving his car, poorly. His driving was erratic. He cut off one driver and crossed over the centre line. He nearly collided with another car. Bingley pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complexand struck another car. The police were called. Officer Tennant responded. She spoke to Bingley. She noted several things that led her to believe that Bingley was impaired: his zipper was undone; he had difficulty doing it up; he stumbled; he was swaying and uncoordinated; his eyes were glossy and bloodshot; his speech was slurred; he was having trouble focusing. …

University of Alberta Faculty of Law Blog
Are Police Street Checks Racially Motivated?

We continue access to justice week by discussing race and crime. One of the most controversial topics in the Canadian criminal justice system is whether the system is biased against racial minorities. Studies in Canada show that members of racial minorities view the criminal justice system as biased. Moreover, they view the system more negatively than Caucasian individuals. The findings suggest that many minority groups believe that their ability to access justice is lacking, especially with respect to policing and community safety.

StartupSource
Voting Trusts: Think Ahead

In the early stages of a startup, founders often issue equity to friends, family members and other investors to acquire initial working capital and to engage key employees at a low-cost basis. When issuing equity in the early stages of a startup, it is important for founders to consider issues that will affect future stages of their startup’s business, including future financial needs. Obtaining the approval of minority shareholders for a financing or reorganization of a startup can prove challenging. …

Peter Sankoff
Fifteen Minutes on the Principled Approach to Evidentiary Admissibility

In this video blog, I look at the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in R v Khan, 2017 ONCA 114, and the division in the Court regarding how best to approach questions of evidentiary admissibility. Is it better to approach evidentiary problems with a system of rules and exceptions, or should a “principled approach” be adopted? It’s a good question, and one I address in some depth. There are no easy answers here, as both approaches have benefits and drawbacks….

Clio Blog
40 Best Books for Lawyers—Recommended by Legal Professionals

Ever wonder what books will help you run the best legal practice possible? There are a million-and-one books out there on business, law, and the business of law, so how do you know you’re reading the most effective books for lawyers? One place to start is to check out what your peers are reading. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best books for lawyers, including classic picks, recommendations from Clio’s lawyer in residence Joshua Lenon, and recommendations from Clio’s Advocates community. …

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*Randomness here is created by Random.org and its list randomizing function.