By LegalMatters Staff • A bill has been sent to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs that would repeal s.43 of the Criminal Code, which allows the spanking of children. That section reads: “Every school teacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way […]
Another attempt to ban spanking winds its way through Parliament Read More »
By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) is offering a slate of educational sessions designed to appeal to those starting off in the profession as well as lawyers looking to expand their skillsets, says executive director/library director Joan Rataic-Lang. “There are returning programs and new ones that are sure to fill up quickly,” she
TLA has educational programs for new starts, experienced lawyers Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • When a marriage breaks down and the parents cannot reach an agreement on parenting arrangements, the dispute will be settled either through mediation or by a family court judge. Under the law, all parents have moral and legal obligations relating to their children. Unless the court or the parents have decided
Parenting arrangements must put the best interests of the child first Read More »
By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • For the past two decades, paralegal Jenna Little litigated provincial offences at the Ontario Court of Justice. That allowed her to develop an impressive skill set encompassing various areas of law including constitutional applications, federal contraventions and provincial offences appeals. She recently embarked on a fresh endeavour as a
Paralegal brings unique provincial court experience to law firm Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • A fundamental principle of the Canadian justice system is that someone can only be found guilty of a crime if the Crown prosecutor has proven the elements of the offence beyond a reasonable doubt. If not, the accused must be acquitted. Yet wrongful convictions do happen, as David Milgaard’s family knows.
Future injustices may be prevented by wrongful conviction registry Read More »
By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Fairs across Ontario such as the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto are sure signs of the coming of autumn. For children and those young at heart, thrilling midway rides are a key attraction. But if you are injured on one of these mechanical devices you may be able to
Midway rides are thrilling but accidents can happen Read More »
The legal profession is steeped in time-honoured traditions and procedures. But while the past has served us well, we must also look to the future and learn to embrace the potential benefits of emerging technology. The Ontario government’s $166-million plan to deliver more legal services online, replacing paper-based procedures with a digital platform to support
Technology has the power to improve the legal profession Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • If you are charged with a criminal offence you have an important decision to make – how to respond to the charge. That decision will set the course for the rest of the legal process. Because of the many variables involved and the complexity of the Canadian legal system, it is
Choosing whether to plead guilty or go to trial is a big decision Read More »
Hospital administrators wield great power over physicians to whom they grant hospital privileges to practice in their public institutions. It thus takes a lot of courage for a doctor to challenge his hospital and allege that he was treated unfairly. According to a news report, a critical-care physician in London, Ont., is suing the London
Ontario hospitals need to adopt a just culture for physicians Read More »
By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Changing social media giant Twitter’s brand to X is a risky choice but there may well be more to the decision than meets the eye, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Elon Musk, who completed a US$44-billion purchase of Twitter almost one year ago, recently announced he has rebranded
Elon Musk waves bye-bye birdie to the iconic Twitter brand Read More »
