Widespread distrust of government helped Donald Trump bring the United States to its knees. Only 17% of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing most of the time in 2019, down from over 70% in the 1960s. People who lack any confidence in government tend to be receptive to anti-government populist messages.

The best way to preserve public trust in government is to ensure, as much as possible, that government acts in a trustworthy way. What does this have to do with Ontario’s administrative tribunals? Statutes such as the Human Rights Code, the Residential Tenancies Act . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Redundancies Galore
Neil Guthrie

All of these seen recently. Action plan: I suppose there could be a plan to do nothing (an inaction plan?), but generally plan implies taking action — so the first element inaction plan is redundant. … . . . [more]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is sometimes thought of as a cure for the complexities of the world, but perhaps even more often as a threat to humans. Stephen Hawking said that “[w]hereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all.”

At a somewhat less general level, a good deal of concern has been expressed about the impact of artificial intelligence on the law, and notably on the criminal justice system. My own musings are here. That article considered the evolution of AI from painstaking mimicry of . . . [more]

It’s really not shocking for anyone who pays attention to the practice of law, but a powerful piece in The Globe recently highlighted the gender inequities in Canadian law firms. Lawyers in all practices and of all genders nodded their heads, knowingly.

The article describes the calls for change that have been in place since 1996, “when women started filling up more than half the seats in law schools across the country.” But all the partners’ horses, and and the partners’ consultants, couldn’t figure out why women weren’t making partner in comparable numbers, or were making almost 25% less at . . . [more]

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

TRAVAIL : En matière de licenciement collectif, l’exception prévue à l’article 84.0.3 L.N.T., à l’égard d’un établissement dont les activités sont saisonnières ou intermittentes, s’applique lors d’une fin d’emploi définitive.

Intitulé : Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail c. Immeubles des Moulins . . . [more]

Each Friday, we share the latest job listings from Slaw Jobs, which features employment opportunities from across the country. Find out more about these positions by following the links below, or learn how you can use Slaw Jobs to gain valuable exposure for your job ads, while supporting the great Canadian legal commentary at Slaw.ca.

Current postings on Slaw Jobs:

• Director, People and Culture (Full-time) | Remote/Vancouver, BC
  (Ecojustice)
• Legislative Affairs Specialist (Full-time) | Remote/within commuting distance to Victoria, BC
  (Ecojustice)

As we watched scenes of violence, vandalism, and rioting at the US Capitol on January 6^th, there was an acute sense of loss of control, not only across the United States but throughout much of the world.

This was a brazen upending of the norms of respect and acceptance of institutional authority that lie, both symbolically and practically, at the heart of democracies around the world. The United States likes to call itself “the greatest democracy” but it is just one of many. Each is less than perfect, but a central article of faith is striving to honour . . . [more]

When discussing the modernization of the justice system the conversation can often be about how we adapt the technology to replicate the bricks-and-mortar experience.

But how might the institutions and decision-makers themselves adapt to work with the emerging technology?

Legal scholar Tania Sourdin talks about three primary kinds of technology in the context of the justice system:

• Supportive – things like online legal applications that support and advise people using the justice system
• Replacement – things that replace the role of people, such as e-filing technologies and online dispute resolution
• Disruptive – things that fundamentally alter the way legal professionals

By Lewis Waring, Licensed Paralegal, Student-at-Law, Editor, First Reference Inc.

In Saskatchewan Polytechnic Faculty Assn. and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Derow), 2020 CanLII 78471 (SK LA), Re (“Derow”), a unionized teacher’s dismissal related to racist comments against indigenous persons was set aside and he was reinstated to his position with conditions.

The teacher, in this case, had been working for Saskatchewan Polytechnic for 34 years and had been employed in the school’s carpentry program. Instead of dismissal, the arbitrator held that the employee would be suspended for six months and required to undertake appropriate education. Upon his return to work, the . . . [more]

Periodically on Thursdays, we present a significant excerpt, usually from a recently published book or journal article. In every case the proper permissions have been obtained. If you are a publisher who would like to participate in this feature, please let us know via the site’s contact form.

Sentencing in Canada: Essays in Law, Policy, and Practice

Editors: David Cole & Julian Roberts
ISBN: Print (Paperback): 9781552215395
Publisher: Irwin Law
Page Count: 498 pages
Publication Date: August 24, 2020
Regular Price: $75.00

Excerpt from Chapter 16: Evaluating the Youth Sentencing Regime in Comparison with Adult Court, by Andrea EE Tuck-Jackson . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Researching Legislative Intent: A Practical Guide. By Susan Barker & Erica Anderson. Toronto: Irwin Law, 2019. xxi, 284p. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-55221-513-5 (softcover) $60.00; ISBN 978-1-55221-514-2 (PDF) $60.00.

Reviewed by Ann Marie Melvie
Law Librarian
Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan
In CLLR 45:4

As a Canadian legal . . . [more]