We are living in a world of protests against COVID restrictions, “freedom convoys”, imminent war over Ukraine, and protests about many serious issues including climate change, social injustice, racism, residential schools…the list could go on an on. Humankind is facing complex challenges and our response is increasingly to divide into factions, engage in “othering” and escalate conflict. I often don’t want to listen to the news or open my news app for fear of hearing about yet another form of deep cultural and structural divide.

I’m a seeker of peace. As a staunch advocate of effective conflict management techniques and . . . [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.

Statutory Interpretation: Pragmatics and Argumentation. By Douglas Walton, Fabrizio Macagno, and Giovanni Sartor. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2021. 331p. Includes figures, tables, and bibliographic references. ISBN 978-1-108-42934-4 (hardcover) $126.95.

Reviewed by Emily Da Silva
Research Librarian (Education, Law, Management, and Social Sciences)
University of Ottawa
In CLLR 46:3

The . . . [more]

With remote working becoming more popular, many companies are trying a 4-day work week. Even, some countries, such as Belgium and Iceland, are experimenting with a shortened workweek.

In the Forbes’ article, “Iceland Tried A Shortened Workweek And It Was An Overwhelming Success“, author Jack Kelly writes that between 2015 to 2019, Iceland conducted test cases of a 35-to-36-hour workweek. The study found that:

• Productivity and service provision remained the same or improved across the majority of trial workplaces.
• Worker well-being dramatically increased across a range of indicators, from perceived stress and burnout, to health and work-life balance.

Each Wednesday we tell you which three English-language cases and which French-language case have been the most viewed* on CanLII and we give you a small sense of what the cases are about.

For this last week:

1. R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27 (CanLII), [2016] 1 SCR 631

[1] Timely justice is one of the hallmarks of a free and democratic society. In the criminal law context, it takes on special significance. Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms attests to this, in that it guarantees the right of accused persons “to be . . . [more]

It was some years ago that I first came across the “House of Butter” blog, set up and run by Sean Hocking and forming part of Australia-based www.practicesource.com. Sean has made many Slaw contributions, so the origins of and thinking behind House of Butter are recorded in several articles, particularly in the period 2010-2014. Prior to Practice Source, he had established and published the regular PDF alerting service, Law Librarians News.

Our first exchange may have been after I read a piece from him which, I thought at the time, may have been a little dismissive or disrespectful . . . [more]

INTRODUCTION

When Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act in mid-October 1970 in response to a request by Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa, I was a grad student in Political Science at McMaster University. Justification was the “state of apprehended insurrection” existing in the province. Some of us posted a petition against its invocation in a hallway near our offices; someone tore it down, and we put it up again. We protested. In fact, protesting was illegal under the War Measures Act, but no one outside Quebec bothered about that. I remember telling people I knew that . . . [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

Finding Older Newspaper Articles
Susannah Tredwell

While recent newspaper articles are reasonably easy to find (give or take a paywall), older newspaper articles can be a bit more challenging to locate. If a newspaper article you are looking for is not available through the paper’s website, the following resources may be useful in tracking articles down: … . . . [more]

Jane is sitting with her partner at the dinner table, but her thoughts are miles away. She is thinking about an offhand comment she made to a client and worrying about how this could become a significant problem. Maybe he will complain and ask the partner to take her off the file. Perhaps the partner will complain to others and drop her from other files. Could she get fired?

Jane is so anxious she can’t get to sleep. She returns to work the next day expecting the worst, but nothing happens. There are no complaints. Later in the week, the . . . [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.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : L’infraction d’avoir exercé des activités de lobbyisme sans être inscrit au registre des lobbyistes, en violation de l’article 25 de la Loi sur la transparence et l’éthique en matière de lobbyisme, constitue une infraction de responsabilité stricte dont l’actus reus fait appel au critère objectif . . . [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:

• Lawyer (Full-time) | Etobicoke, ON
  (Kostyniuk & Greenside Lawyers)
• Tax Lawyer – Canadian Sales Tax (Full-time) | Vancouver, BC
  (Thorsteinssons LLP)
• Real Estate Legal Assistant (Full-time) | Abbotsford, BC
  (Waterstone Law Group LLP)
• Litigation Association (Full-time) | Vancouver, BC
  (Bernard

Written by Lewis Waring, Paralegal, Student-at-Law (3rd year), Editor, First Reference Inc.

In Benson v Central Health Authority, an employer fulfilled its duty to accommodate despite the negotiated resignation of its employee with a disability. Although the employee’s disability made continued employment impossible, the employer’s reliance upon a well-crafted human rights policy allowed it to fulfill its duty regardless. The employer fulfilled its duty to accommodate ultimately by responding to its employee’s request for accommodation systematically and fairly. . . . [more]