How Valuable is the First Overall Section in the MLB Rule Four Draft? Pop Quiz: What do Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014), Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts (2012), and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (2015) have in common? Answer: They are all recent household names that were chosen with the first overall pick in their respective draft class. Yet, unlike the National...
The 2016 Entertainment and Sports Law Conference Sponsored by Osgoode’s Entertainment and Sports Law Association, the eighteenth annual Entertainment and Sports Law Conference took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on 4 March 2016. The long-running and highly successful conference brings together some of the top IP, entertainment, and sports professionals to talk about recent...
I have a problem. Okay, I have lots of problems, but this article is going to focus on just one of them. I’m an information junkie. Sometimes, that leads me to learn about beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that are downright disturbing. Call it a morbid fascination with the deranged, or a waste of time for someone who almost certainly has better things to do. In any case, I’ve habitually gazed...
Alarming Attrition Rates for Women in Criminal Law I once commented to one of my Criminal Procedure professors that the Crown’s office seems like a better place for women who want to practice criminal law. My professor, who is a female Ontario Court of Justice judge and former defence attorney, responded that if all the women who want to practice criminal law end up working for the Crown, the...
Opposing Pneumonia Vaccine Patents in India On 11 March, Doctors Without Borders (DWB) officially launched a ‘patent opposition’ in India in order to better guarantee access to pneumonia vaccines for children. Pfizer, a US pharmaceutical company, is attempting to file a patent on PCV13, so-called because the product is a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that involves conjugating thirteen serotypes...
Of the many opportunities I’ve had over three years with the Obiter Dicta, last week provided me with what will undoubtedly be the highlight. The launch of the Canadian Bar Association’s ‘Do Law Differently’ guide, held at the MaRS Discovery District through the invitation of Legal X, was an amazing look at the intersection of the traditional legal institutions with the future of the industry. It...
The Obiter’s review of Osgoode’s penultimate hiring experience. Today’s publication marks the penultimate edition of the 2015/2016 Obiter Dicta. As we approach the end of another year, this issue also fittingly serves as our first foray into one of Osgoode’s most exciting, and notorious, opportunities: On-Campus Interviews. OCI’s mark for many of us the last hiring process before we seek out...
The 2015/2016 Obiter Dicta OCI Survey and Special Edition come courtesy the hard work of Obiter Staff Member and Osgoode student Michael Motala, and the Obiter Dicta staff. Click below to view the pdf version of the report:
OCI Special Edition
This past February, the National Basketball Association held its first All-Star Game in Toronto, the first time the event has been held outside of the United States. This was a historic moment for all fans north of the border. “All-Star Toronto 2016,” the banner read two years ago at the press conference. Rising Stars I was able to grab some tickets to the Rising Stars Challenge, the first...
A few thoughts on the very public negotiation between the Blue Jays and Jose Bautista I am normally opposed to opinions that professional athletes are paid too much. Professional sports are highly profitable and athletes are generally paid what the market will bear—within a reasonable range of what they are worth to their teams. But recently, rumours relating to Jose Bautista’s contract demands...
How Valuable is the First Overall Section in the NHL Entry Draft? D-Date: With the Toronto Maple Leafs firmly entrenched in last place (as of 17 February 2016) in the National Hockey League (NHL) standings, Leafs Nation has already circled 29 February as D-Date, because a closer look at the NHL calendar would reveal that it is the trade deadline for this season. Following the Leafs somewhat...
Live at Lee’s Palace, 26 February 2016 Nearing the end of their lengthy cross-country tour, Yukon Blonde stopped at Lee’s Palace in Toronto to play two sold out shows. I was lucky enough to be in attendance for round two. Now, I must acknowledge from the onset that I am not an objective reviewer. Yukon Blonde has been one of my favourite bands since the release of their first, self-titled album...
Creating the Path to an International Career Throughout the school year, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (Osgoode Chapter) has been working to highlight career possibilities for those interested in pursuing international human rights work. In this article, we interview Katie Flannery, the Team Leader for Refugee Status Determination and Durable Solutions at the Egyptian Foundation...
Yes means yes and ask again anyway As awkward a subject as it may be, I want to discuss the Jian Ghomeshi trial. Since I’m about as subtle as a cinder block thrown through a plate glass window, I guess I’ll start with something that’s been particularly contentious: Marie Henein’s impassioned defence of Mr. Ghomeshi, and her often brutal approach to examining the complainants. I know a number of...
Antonin Scalia’s death highlights the enormous political divide in the US United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away suddenly in a hunting ranch in Texas on 13 February. Justice Scalia was a brilliant scholar and the leading originalist jurist in the United States, and by all accounts, a very personable guy. I didn’t know him though, and I was never a fan of Justice Scalia’s...
Presidential Elections in Uganda Marred by Procedural Irregularities and Opposition Suppression Authors: Justin Toh, with edits and title by Sophie Chiasson The 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections in Uganda have been criticized for failing to uphold democratic standards set out in domestic and international law. According to Uganda’s Electoral Commission, incumbent candidate...
The Safety of Hospitals and Civilian Targets On 28 February, an accord lead by the United States and Russia started the first day of a “cessation of hostilities” in Syria. The accord was accepted by President Bashar al-Assad’s government and many of his opponents, giving some analysts in the United Nations hope that the accord can pave meaningful diplomatic ground between the parties. The...
A Cold Night Filled with Warm Company and Conversation On Thursday, February 25th, I had the pleasure of attending the fourth annual OWN Your Career event, the Osgoode Women’s Network’s culminating event of the school year, held at Toronto’s Rosehill Venue, a warm, comfortable space a few minutes walk from St. Clair subway station. The evening is designed for two main purposes: to provide a...
Free Kesha To be honest, this isn’t the editorial I planned to write this issue. Rather than a riveting ride through the necessity defence and illegal environmental activism (stay tuned!), I felt compelled to write about Kesha and what’s happening to her. In case you’re unaware—after being under contract with Dr. Luke as part of since 2005, Kesha filed a suit against him in 2014, alleging he...
The Case for Piercing TCHC’s Corporate Veil On 5 February 2016, a fire in a Scarborough residence run by Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) claimed the lives of three seniors and injured several others, including twelve people who had to be hospitalized. The Toronto Fire Marshal announced that it would be filing non-criminal charges under section 2.4(2) of the Ontario Fire Code against...
Kudos to anyone who knew beforehand what a “meteor hammer” was. My knowledge of the weapons of ancient warfare is limited. I am of the opinion that Kill Bill, Volume 1 is the best Quentin Tarantino film made thus far (although I have yet to see The Hateful Eight). What he did for female heroines in Kill Bill, Volume 1 and Kill Bill, Volume 2 is analogous to when The Matrix revolutionized action...
Osgoode Hockey primed for Queen’s Law Cup 2016 Take note: Osgoode’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ Ice Hockey teams are whooping some serious ass this season. It’s a little known fact that there are two extremely good hockey teams representing Osgoode in York University’s Ice Hockey Intramural League. Over the last several months, Osgoode ‘A’ (Tier 1) and Osgoode ‘B’ (Tier 2) have been rolling through any team in...
Percent for Public Art “to foster and promote the collaboration between art and architecture, the State devises a scheme which ensures that whenever a new public building, place or space is built or created, a percentage of the overall cost of the scheme is required by law to be spent on art, in order to ensure the collaboration between art and architecture for the benefit of the public.”...
On February 5th and 6th, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) performed its most recent work at the Sony Centre in Toronto. Entitled Going Home Star, the piece was commissioned by the company and Artistic Director André Lewis to facilitate reconciliation through the medium of ballet, in light of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Canadian government’s supposed attempts to remedy the...
Mentally Ill in Law School The Obiter Dicta generally does not publish anonymous articles. A strict, limited exception allows students to publish anonymously exclusively for articles about their mental health experience in law school. This exception exists only for cases where there are concerns directly regarding the risk of exposure or stigma. The Obiter Dicta Executive Board has full and final...