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. IdeaBlawg  2. ABlawg.ca 3. Michael Spratt 4. Library Boy 5. Canadian occupational health & safety law

IdeaBlawg
Some Thoughts On Property, Privacy, and Criminal Law

I have been spending a good portion of my time outside of my regular duties with mooting competitions and writing a paper. One task is seemingly very practice minded while one purely academic. I see it differently. Engaging in an analysis of a case decision produces a repository of creative and imaginative arguments, which can have practical impact in court. To understand a case decision is to embark on a legal and literary adventure that serves as the inspiration, the creative spark, for new unknown approaches to old known areas of the law. …

ABlawg.ca
Distracted Driving and the Traffic Safety Act

Alberta added distracted driving offences to the Traffic Safety Act, RSA 2000 c T-6 in 2011, and two of these provisions are the subject of this decision by Justice John T. Henderson. The accused was charged under section 115.1(1)(b) for operating a vehicle while looking at his mobile phone. This particular section prohibits driving while holding, viewing or manipulating a hand-held electronic device or a wireless electronic device. …

Michael Spratt
SNC-Lavalin affair raises the issue of the role of former judges

The SNC-Lavalin scandal has proven to be an insatiable beast with tentacles reaching deep into the political and legal worlds — perhaps even as far as the Supreme Court of Canada. Politically, the allegations of interference with the justice system have deeply damaged the “sunny ways” Liberal brand and catapulted the Conservative Party ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in pre-election opinion polls. And, as most scandals do, …

Library Boy
Canadian Judicial Council Launches Review of Ethical Principles for Judges

Patricia Hughes, the former Executive Director of the Law Commission of Ontario, published an article yesterday on Slaw.ca on the proposed revision by the Canadian Judicial Council of its ethical guidelines for federally-appointed judges in Canada: …

Canadian occupational health & safety law
Appeal Court Refuses to Reinstate Jail Sentence … This Time

In the thousands of OHSA prosecutions that have occurred in Ontario history, defendants have been jailed fewer than two dozen times. However, in its recent decision of Ontario (Labour) v. New Mex Canada Inc., the Ontario Court of Appeal provided clarity on the sentencing principles in OHSA cases. The court made clear that just because jail terms are rare does not mean they should not be imposed. …

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