The Obama administration’s efforts to foster openness and public engagement took a giant leap forward this week with the announcement of data.gov, making data from across the U.S. government readily available from a single portal. This will be an incredible tool for those interested in measuring how governments actually perform and should be a standard part of every government’s web offering… *cough*Canada*cough*

Though Canada hasn’t followed suit yet, we did get more data this week about Canada’s Clean Energy Fund, and about two new BIP investments by the Ontario government. 

We also saw interesting new data in . . . [more]

The posting of a YouTube video of a woman throwing a tantrum at the Hong Kong International Airport should serve as a reminder to Canadian businesses that employees these days can (and do) easily record and post videos online from their mobile phones.

The three minute video shows a Cathay Pacific customer yelling and flailing her limbs as she lies on the floor after missing her flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco. I’ve been upset at missing a flight before, but the woman in this video takes things to an entirely new level. The video has drawn over five . . . [more]

On Thursday, Canada joined the EU, Brazil and Chile in demanding the withdrawal of tax credits in the U.S. for black liquor.

The credits are estimated at $4-8 billion, passed in 2007, and intended for energy alternatives in paper mills and cogeneration facilities. Paper manufacturers have started mixing F-T diesel with a kraft process byproduct known as black liquor to meet the definition of the tax credit, which Canada claims is hurting Canadian jobs.

Although President Obama wants to terminate the rebate on Oct. 1, Canada and the other countries are threatening action through the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In . . . [more]

Extraordinary development in the Slaw Scavenger Hunt. Our prominent lawyer from Toronto has had an extraordinary day, and is now 22 points ahead of the Oxford expert – it’s 180 to 158. Pulling away. But there are still 70 points to play for

Over the weekend, the duelling duo have guessed the Haflida Skra or Gràgàs in Reykjavik, the Field Code from New York, UN resolution 1962 of December 13, 1963, on the Declaration of legal principles governing activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space, De Indis et de ivre Belli Relectiones, by . . . [more]

We reported yesterday that we seemed to have stumped readers. Not any more. Within twelve hours of yesterday’s post, fully 20% of the outstanding items had been guessed. Tick off the Haflida Skra or Gràgàs in Reykjavik, the Field Code from New York and UN resolution 1962 of December 13, 1963, on the “Declaration of legal principles governing activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space”.

The remaining items in the global Scavenger Hunt are falling fast.

In terms of the contest list of 50 dates, set by the two Simons, the table below lists the dates . . . [more]

A bill now before the U.K. House of Lords would remove the right to be present at a hearing for certain matters consequent upon being charged with an offence. Amendments to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 proposed in the Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09 [PDF] (Part 3, Chapter 4: Live Links – p.56) would allow authorities in a number of London and North Kent police stations to determine that an accused should appear before a bail court, or for trial of minor offences, via a live video link to a remote courtroom. (See the story in the Times.) . . . [more]

The Electronic Commerce Protection Act, Bill C-27, has passed second reading in Parliament and will go to committee for review.

Views seem to differ on parts of the bill, while other parts are generally accepted.

One of the areas of contention deals with the degree of consent required to send someone an email. The Bill has an ‘opt in’ system, by which the sender needs the express or implied consent of the addressee to send a message. An existing business relationship may imply consent.

However, some people say that the Bill is so broadly drafted that it would prohibit . . . [more]

The formerly Canadian bad boy, Conrad Black, was today granted certiorari by the United States Supreme Court. The court will hear his appeal from the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit [PDF] (June 25, 2008; rehearing denied August 13, 2008) affirming his fraud conviction. . . . [more]

As of June 1st, all Canadians will need passports to enter the U.S. by land or water. This is in addition to air travel which has required a passport since January 23, 2007. This initiative is required by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a U.S. law requiring all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or depart the United States from within the Western Hemisphere. Document requirements for children do vary somewhat from adult requirements.

Additional details are available . . . [more]

There weren’t exactly an Ark’s worth of devleopments this week, but what did develop came two-by-two.

This week saw two very public regulatory developments in the U.S.:

• The FDA took two heavy steps against highly visible advertising: they said that General Mills’ claims on Cheerios boxes that the cereal can help lower cholesterol means that Cheerios are a drug and should be tested and regulated accordingly; and they chastised a number of pharma companies for ads placed with Google because the ads (limited to 95 characters) do not contain the required risk information. 
• Also in the U.S., Rep. Pallone

I’ve mentioned the controversy surrounding the safe injection sites before. But I went in for a closer look recently in Vancouver, when I attended the appeal by the Crown of the decision of Pitfield J. last year in PHS Community Services Society v. Canada, [2008] B.C.J. No. 951; 293 D.L.R. (4th) 392 (B.C. S.C.) that allowed the facility to stay open.

The Respondents in this case were seeking the extension of an exemption for the Insite facility under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act (CDSA).

The opposition to the exception by the Federal Crown, appealing the decision made by . . . [more]

After a week, we seem to have stumped the research skills of Slaw’s readers – or at least the time and patience of our competitors to date – in the global Scavenger Hunt, the contributions just keep on coming.

In terms of the contest list of 50 dates, set by the two Simons, the table below lists the dates remaining to be identified. The lead is still with our reader (a pioneer blogger) in Oxford, who is well familiar with the Bodleian Law Library. He has 148 points. Close behind is a prominent lawyer from Toronto is close behind . . . [more]