The Prime Minister has announced that the next Governor-General, who will replace HE Michaelle Jean on Oct. 1, 2010, is David Johnston.

Johnston has two LL.B. degrees, one from Cambridge (1965) and another from Queen’s (1966). He is currently the President of the University of Waterloo. In 1997, he was appointed a companion of the Order of Canada.

But one of the more interesting points of his career is when he served as the Dean of the law school at the University of Western Ontario, my alma mater, between 1974-1979. In an e-mail to our law school community the . . . [more]

Standards in the accounting and auditing industries are undergoing a number of changes. The CICA (Chartered Accountants of Canada) has a web page Canadian Standards in Transition pulling together the standards–both Canadian and international–that are currently in transition. Here is a very brief run-down:

• International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) – for publicly accountable enterprises (PAEs) and government business enterprises (GBEs); optional for private enterprises and others. IFRSs are issued by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB).
• Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises – “give Canadian businesses the ability to choose to adopt new ‘made in Canada’ standards or International Financial Reporting

I happened to be in St. Thomas, Ontario, recently, and was taken on a tour of the old cemetery, which dates back to the founding of the town in about 1810. One of the residents, so to speak, of that graveyard is Hugh Richardson, the judge who presided over the trial of Louis Riel and pronounced the death sentence.

His gravestone was “cleaned” inexpertly some years ago and is now covered with lichen, making the inscription difficult to read, as you’ll see from the photograph to the left (click on it to enlarge it somewhat). I’ve taken another photograph from . . . [more]

A little while back, I reported that the humorous English law blogger, Tim Kevan, who writes as Baby Barista, had jumped ship from the Times, because of their new paywall: Baby Barista Bails From Times. Now I’m happy to tell you that Mista Barista has landed safely on The Guardian’s shores. The Guardian, as I’ve mentioned, is taking a rather different tack from that pursued by the Times, and is doing its best to embrace what is good about the internet. Here’s hoping that (having started a sailing metaphor, I shall continue:) enough wind fills their sails . . . [more]

click image to enlarge it

Not very exciting, I know. But I used to live near here when I was a little kid. And anyway how many places do you know called “the Dingle”?

This is a map produced by MapSherpa, an online app that will kick out topographical maps of Canada — you know, the ones that show lines around levels, so you know how steep the hill is that you’re about to climb. (Read the bit in Wikipedia that says that I — and MapSherpa are perhaps misusing “topographical. But nevermind.) Nothing too dramatic around the Dingle, . . . [more]

Happy Canada Day! Since it is a holiday day, my family is working on chores around the homestead. Today’s chore for the parents is continuing with backfilling for our current building project. This is the kind of chore that gives a person time to think.

I have been operating a jumping jack while my husband uses our tractor to put dirt in the trench around out new insullated concrete form foundation walls.

I think learning to use this tool and carrying out the task of packing dirt is an excellent analogy for the legal research process.

First, for any task . . . [more]

Today is Canada Day, so it’s unlikely that there’ll be any other posts today — or, indeed, readers to read them, if there were. Of course, being Canada, we’ve managed to celebrate our nation on a single day that, unless it falls on a Friday or a Monday, doesn’t stretch to a long weekend the way that some other national holidays manage to. I’d like to think it has something to do with a concern about productivity, but . . .

Speaking of productivity, what would an entry on Slaw be if it didn’t produce even some small tidbit of . . . [more]

As per the subject line, today marks the end of an era. After 18 years at the Bora Laskin Law Library at the University of Toronto and then 12 years at the Sir James Dunn Law Library at the Schulich (nee Dalhousie) School of Law at Dalhousie University Ann Morrison is retiring. Ann is a veritable legend in the field of law librarianship, with a list of achievements that I could not do justice to with a Blog post. While I am sad to see her leave us, Ann’s retirement is well-earned and Ann has truly had a lasting impact . . . [more]

We constantly see commentary on frivolous lawsuits, and cases that poke holes in limitation clauses in contracts of various types. Perhaps everyone should have some sort of basic understanding of who is responsible for what. So I propose (in jest of course) that everyone be subject to the following agreement.

By being born, you agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, even you you have not, or can not, read them. 

You are responsible for your own actions. Stuff happens in life, and you should look to yourself before you blame others. 

Stuff will happen that may . . . [more]

There are long traditions in Canadian political life, and not all of them are consistent with the placid, social democratic vision that was shattered along with windows and police vehicles this afternoon. . . . [more]

Let’s all sing along with the Buffalo Springfield or (fittingly) the Police.

As Bugs almost said to Elmer: be afwaid, be vewwy afwaid. Consider this poster:

[“Steph All-Mighty” … “Stephen Harper: What if you could do anything, just like George W. Bush, for 4 years?”]

 However, for those who are looking for a more symbolic reasons, consider this sculpture of our national emblem . (Look up Beaverlodge, Alberta).

It predates even the first coming to Alberta of our current Great Leader, nonetheless …

“That’s Mr. Beaver, Sir, to you.”

 Those with a poetical bent might recall these words, from . . . [more]

There’s much to like about cities. At least, I think so. But there is one glaring disadvantage, and I use the term advisedly. We urbanists have lived in constant light pollution ever since electrification arrived, blotting out the night sky. A chance to see the stars is one good reason to get out of town.

If you are at all moved by the sight of the limitless, glittering heavens at night, you’ll want to take ninety seconds to watch the universe spin above the Ecuadorean volcano Cotopaxi, as filmed by Stéphane Guisard. In this lovely piece of time-lapse photography, . . . [more]