There are some reasons that contain passages that judges should not have to write. For example

Grandmothers of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan and Nipissing First Nation v. Ontario (Natural Resources), 2010 ONCA 439 contains this:

[2] While the notice of appeal raises a wide range of issues,  some of which fall outside the ambit of the jurisdiction of any court, the arguments advanced in the factum and in oral argument are somewhat more focussed and may be summarized as follows …

[3] In our view, application judge did not err in refusing the writ of prohibition on these

Microsoft has just formally launched a new gesture based controller for the Xbox called Kinect (formerly known as Natal) to go on sale November 4. And a new, more compact version of the X-box.

So what has this got to do with the office?

For now, this device can only be used with an Xbox – but there is no reason that the same technology could not be used with a PC for a Minority Report like interface. Indeed, there is evidence that Microsoft has this in mind.

For now, here are some ideas for how business might use the . . . [more]

Sad news from St John’s, and some truly shocking footage here, of the destruction by fire of Roebothan McKay and Marshall the law firm that was the pre-political home of Premier Danny Williams. The building has now been demolished.

And the hopeful news that their servers were fully backed up on Friday and that the firm will be operating out of temporary premises and reopening soon.

Think that disaster planning is just for big firms? Think that fire – or flood – or earthquake couldn’t happen to you?

Here are resources to start your own plan, or to dust off, . . . [more]

I’m a litigation lawyer who practices in Calgary. I was called to the bar in 1997 and I have practiced at two firms in two different provinces. I’m also a board member of the Canadian Bar Association’s Legal Profession Assistance Conference, Saskatchewan’s Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, and Alberta’s Lawyer Assist Program. I know of many individuals who have a better work-life balance than I do.

I’m told work-life balance is properly understood to be a healthy prioritizing between “work” (ambition and career) on the one hand and “life” (family, pleasure, and leisure) on the other. My failings at achieving a . . . [more]

♫ Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree.
He sang and he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled,
“You’ll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me….♫

Words and music by: Banjo Paterson.

Professor John Zeleznikow, Laboratory of Decision Support and Dispute Management, School of Management and Information Systems, Victoria University, in a comment posted to the ODR and Consumers 2010 blog, alluded to a paper discussing the existing Online Family Dispute Resolution Service in Australia.

At the ODR Conference in Buenos Aires in June, Professor Zeleznikow presented (via web conference) on . . . [more]

The algorithm for generating CanLII keywords sure spits out some gems. Take this real CanLII keyword string, for example:

• underwear — negligence — wearing blue acid washed jeans — defence — lawyer

How could one not link through to figure out what kind of negligence case could involve a pair of blue acid wash jeans? The fact that the word “underwear” comes before “negligence” makes this list of keywords even better. Could it be that negligence is now part of the “law of underwear”?

Here are some other goodies:

• lifejacket — flip flops — cordless — daughter — bed
• alibi

Taran Virtual Associates has updated its SABS chart for the changes which take effect September 1, 2010. This handy practice tool lists the important time periods relevant to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule – Accidents on or after November 1, 1996. Lawyers and law clerks can refer to this chart to determine at a glance how much time the regulations provide for the next step in their accident benefits case. The chart is available at http://www.virtualassociates.ca/links/home4.html . . . [more]

Today is the day The Times disappears behind a paywall. The formerly free online presence of the “Thunderer,” the TimesOnline, is now dark and has been replaced by two new websites: thetimes.co.uk and thesundaytimes.co.uk. Visitors to those sites will be greeted with an invitation to register for a free preview for the month of June and then to subscribe for a fee.

The Times new online presence [click to enlarge]

Those who want free online news from the U.K. might now visit The Guardian, which seems to have embraced the opposite approach to the difficulties posed by the . . . [more]

Publishing trends are not working in favour of the major legal publishers and their recent financial performance confirms this to be the case – revenue is down and staff cuts and outsourcing have replaced publishing as the primary means of maintaining profit margins.

The end of growth

It is a fact that legal and regulatory information is no longer seen as an area of growth and expansion for the multinationals. All three major legal publishers have reported lower publishing revenues while still holding out the prospect of a return to growth in future years. Is it a realistic expectation? Do . . . [more]

On Friday, I attended the amazing workshop Digital Odyssey 2010 – Going Mobile, held by the Ontario Library and Information Technology Association. Focused on how to develop information/library services and products in a mobile environment, the individual sessions discussed augmented reality, QR code, designing for mobile, ebooks, and more. Jason Griffey, keynote speaker, discussed why the mobile world is important and why we should be thinking about it. Here are some highlights from his session:

• 4.1 billion people on the planet have cellphones.
• More cellphones and cellphone contracts than people in some countries. People are carrying multiple devices.

This being my first Slaw column, it would seem to be a good place to reflect on where I’ve been and what I use now. In the late 70’s at UBC Law I was a “TA” to one of Bob Franson’s early “Law and Computers” courses — featuring 300 baud access via a Texas Instruments Silent 700 thermal paper terminal to something called “Quick Law” (Well it did see quick, even at 300 baud). In 1982 $5,000 or so bought me my first computer, an Apple II Plus with various accessories and software — and then I splurged for . . . [more]

This week in biotech, indirect effects were predominant.

The generally poor performance of most recent biotech IPOs has indirectly boosted M&A activity. Only 1 of 8 U.S. biotech IPOs in 2010 is currently trading above its IPO price. IMRIS was the last Canadian biotech IPO, completed in November 2007 at $6.00, and it is currently trading at $5.50. M&A exits are healthy, though, with two recent sales at decent prices.

As we pass the 10-year anniversary of the sequencing of the first human genome, some say we have little to show for it. Part of the reason the . . . [more]