This pandemic is a stark reminder of how our economies and societies are interdependent, and how the well-being of humans, other living beings, and ecosystems, are deeply connected. Only a healthy planet can support healthy people. Once this situation passes, humanity will be called to reflect on its relationship with nature and redouble its commitment to safeguarding the natural world and rebuilding a healthy and equitable planet for all.

-Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Acting Director General, International Union for the Conservation of Nature

It is a time of intensity, of worry, of loss, of the sense that nothing may ever be . . . [more]

While the courts haven’t closed, they’ve certainly slowed down. And if one thing that litigators are used to doing, it’s reading case law.

The Great Library at Law Society of Ontario has announced on Twitter that all licensees can obtain free access to Westlaw and Proview for 30 days. The initiative is intended to support remote workers and promote self-isolation, but us legal geeks will likely use it just to read interesting things.

Digital access to these resources are normally an extension of the services available to licensees through annual fees. LIRN subscribes to publisher collections to make this access . . . [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 Ju stice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

FAMILLE : Malgré l’urgence sanitaire que représente la COVID-19, en l’absence de symptômes chez les personnes visées, il n’y a pas matière à modifier les modalités de garde et d’accès, de sorte que la demande du père, qui souhaitait que les droits d’accès de la mère s’exercent au moyen . . . [more]

One Sunday each month we bring you a summary from Supreme Advocacy LLP of recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers a weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, to which you may subscribe. It’s a summary of all appeals as well as leaves to appeal granted so you will know what the SCC will soon be dealing with (March 12 – April 16, 2020 inclusive).

Appeals

Criminal Law: Delay; Verdict Deliberation Times
R. v. K.G.K., 2020 SCC 7(38532)

Section 11 (b) extends beyond the end of the evidence and argument at trial, . . . [more]

It’s not business as usual in Canadian courts. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended court operations, just as it has upended every other aspect of daily life. One response to the need to ensure physical distancing has been to move in-person court hearings to virtual formats. Beyond the utility of virtual hearings as short term emergency measures, there is reason to believe that this moment may well mark the start of a shift toward increased use of virtual hearings in the longer term. In discussing the impact of COVID-19 on courts, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court has stated . . . [more]

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. Rajan, 2020 ONSC 2118 (CanLII)

[68] While the tertiary ground reasons for detention are based on a visceral reaction against release–a somewhat abstract notion premised on gauging the reasonable views of the public–the threat of COVID-19 in a jail setting is based on cold, hard scientific reality.

[69] The two must be counterbalanced against each other. The traditional grounds for . . . [more]

Law touches many aspects of daily life. We skim and (hastily) agree to user agreements in order to stream music and videos online, sign lease agreements for housing, hydro contracts for hot water and electricity, and employment contracts that outline terms and conditions for work. The everyday legal problems landscape is rife with disputes with employers and neighbors, arguments over money owed, contentious divorces, and many other civil justice problems. The recent economic and social pressures created by the COVID-19 crisis have certainly not improved things. Everyday legal problems carry legal ramifications and profound personal, financial and social consequences. Much . . . [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.

Technology

Get Free Help With Publishing Reference Docs Online During COVID-19
Emma Durand-Wood

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian legal tech industry is stepping up to help. Joining Clio and Optimize Compliance in offering generous assistance during this challenging time is Lexum, which today made the following announcement: Need to Provide Open Access to Key Documents and Materials? Lexum Will Help at No Cost. …

Research . . . [more]

In January, the panel tasked with the review of Canada’s telecommunications framework issued its report. Some of the recommendations are to be saluted, but others have left me worrying, most importantly the recommendations that aim to effectively regulate the Internet the same way that we have regulated broadcast since the last century.

This post is certainly not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of the report. If you’re looking for such a thing you can, well, read the report to hear the panellists’ explanations for their recommendations, or head to Michael Geist’s blog to hear about the other side . . . [more]