Originally Published February 23, 2016 Justin Trudeau’s plan to legalize marijuana possession has created quite the stir in the last year or so, and frankly, it’s about time we unscheduled the stuff. I don’t actually have much of a dog in this particular fight. I’m not going to be a blatant liar and say I don’t ever partake, but to say legalization would have any impact on my day-to-day life...
Well, it’s been a trip. I won’t lie and say I’m sad it’s over, because three years of grinding through textbooks and essays and exams worth your entire grade is enough to drive someone mad, and I already had a head start before setting foot inside Gowlings Hall. My bank account certainly couldn’t take another year, and I’m basically sitting in a recliner with a goalie stick within reach, waiting...
Wow. Just wow. It was surreal to wake up to the news that Doug Ford is the new leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party. It shouldn’t have been surreal, considering how many hard-right populists have risen to political power in recent years, but here we are. One more doughy blue-blood shoved into a suit and bleating catchphrases that are somehow more compelling than they have any right...
We’ve reached an awkward moment in relations between the legal system and First Nations people in Canada. In recent weeks, two criminal trials relating to crimes against young Aboriginal Canadians did not end in a guilty verdict, and unsurprisingly, there was more than a little backlash. Two young First Nations persons (one a child, one barely more than a child) died awful deaths, and both of...
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock in the last few weeks, there was a significant racist incident at Osgoode at the beginning of February. Someone scratched out the eyes of posters depicting famous black Canadians. One of Obiter’s writers already covered the incident at length, so I’m going to say little more about that particular incident beyond merely stating my disdain for the act and...
In previous years, I compiled a yearly anthology of “horror stories about men without shame,” detailing sexual harassment stories that female associates had been willing to put in print. I will forgo publishing this year’s edition for one simple reason: it’s redundant. I honestly expected that 2017 was going to be the Year of the Swine, and in many ways, it truly was. One of their own had become...
Because Cowardice has No Place in Law or Journalism I’ll get down to the brass tacks here. This issue of Obiter contains two articles that might be controversial. One article is about Jordan Peterson’s opinion on personal organization in the context of cleaning one’s room, and while none of the article’s content is controversial on its own, people have been criticized for referencing Peterson...
Or “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Quebecois” There’s this yearly event called “The Law Games”, and while it’s framed as a sports tournament, it’s essentially a week-long drinking contest designed specifically to cull the herd. This year, it was held in Winnipeg, because sociopathic endurance trials aren’t sociopathic enough unless they’re held in a city where the temperature...
A Not Particularly Eloquent or Highbrow Analysis on Jordan Peterson’s Appeal We should be grateful to people who use epithets like “social justice warrior” or “cuck.” Such people are essentially saying in a word or acronym, “I am an asshole; please disregard everything I have to say.” Once upon a time, you would have to piece together a history of objectionable statements and opinions to...
So, it’s about time for someone to indulge the honoured Obiter Dicta tradition of an editor addressing mental health issues in law school. That’s right, we’re about more than social commentary, student clubs and activities, being functionally owned by Davies LLP, and articles on how to annihilate your liver. Occasionally, we touch on the difficulties students experience trying to balance our...
Who Were Really Less Than Heroic The world needs a hero, or at least, it craves one. The world is a brutal, unjust place, and we gravitate towards people who fight for a grand cause, never wavering in the face of unfathomable opposition or crushing despair. These people inspire us, and we view them as symbols of hope and courage in a world characterized by fear and loathing. If they seem...
Is it “locker room talk” if it happens in the bar after the game? I’m seriously asking, because sometimes, the conversation gets more candid in the allegedly public setting of the local watering hole. You know, the place you go to after your beer league hockey game, where conversations are frequently interrupted by shouts of “come on Andersen, that was a clean shot from the point! How did you...
Hugh Hefner died on 27 September 2017, at the age of 91. It seemingly took all of five minutes for people to start arguing over whether he was a progressive icon or a glorified sleaze merchant. As a prospective lawyer, I naturally spent far too much time trying to explain to several people that the truth is somewhere between those two extremes. It was honestly surprising to see the magnitude of...
Because I Haven’t Caused Enough Trouble Last year, I made a significant mistake in my “5 Insane Drinks” article. I failed to realize that two of the beverages contained ingredients that can no longer be found in the LCBO. Apparently, Andre’s Almond Cream tasted too good for a wine that should never leave a paper bag, and Bacardi 151 (the key ingredient in Totally Awesome Sweet Alabama Liquid...
White Privilege Exists: Do Something Good With It On 7 September 2017, a video emerged of a woman heckling NDP leadership hopeful Jagmeet Singh at an event in Brampton. Heckling is putting it mildly, since she spent about two minutes shouting at Mr. Singh from a distance of about four inches. When staffers and crowd members tried to calm her or otherwise dissuade her, she threatened to have them...
Candid Advice from the Editor-in-Chief So you’ve made it to law school. Let me start by congratulating you and apologizing for how quickly you may find yourself in over your head. Getting into law school is a lot like having kids; people will talk about how great an experience it is before you start, and then laugh at you for ruining your life when it’s too late to turn back. This is not...
Please, Pick Your Battles I can’t say I had particularly high hopes for 2017. It pretty much started with the US electing a creature who built an empire on narcissism, lies, and shady business practices, yet somehow, it looks like it’s just going to get worse. It also feels like the political left and right have been having incredibly violent sex on a self-destruct button, and the only...
“I Dare You to Drink That” After the inauguration of a President, who basically looked at 1984 and said “challenge accepted,” I figure it’s time for some relatively comedic filler material. Things are only going to get weirder, and we’re going to need to adapt to a changing world, lest we get left behind. In light of that observation, I suspect a good place to start would be adapting in a...
In the spirit of going with what works, I’ve decided to write a second edition of “horror stories of men without shame.” While I had planned on writing this follow-up in March (when an increased workload made tricking – er, “convincing” – others to write most of my article for me more appealing), the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump warrants earlier publication. What better way to celebrate...
The Worst is Over or Lynchpin for the Endtimes? I should open with something resembling full disclosure. As a wannabe lawyer and journalist, human misery is basically my bread and butter. Without it, I’d have little potential beyond being an office monkey who’d be lucky to get a salaried job in this economy. You don’t hire a lawyer unless you have a problem that warrants shelling out hundreds of...
Thoughts after the First Week Following Trump’s Election The initial shock is mostly over. Yes, the American people elected a joke. A really, truly awful joke. However, in the midst of the hissing and groaning and jeering and other angrily vocal reactions, to my surprise, I noticed one particular person who isn’t laughing. Donald J. Trump. Recent images show a deflated, exhausted...
Thus Dies the Lingering Remnants of my Faith in Humanity The unthinkable has happened: Trump won the 2016 election. I woke up the morning after election night hoping the disastrous outcome that had appeared increasingly inevitable would be miraculously averted. That was foolish: even if you believe in miracles, you can’t count on them. Trump won decisively, taking swing state after...
An Atheist’s Argument for Why Most of Us Should be Able to Get Along A Christian, a Muslim, and an atheist walk into a bar, and they all get along because none of them are jerks who need to argue about religion. I know, it’s a bad joke. Fine, it’s a terrible joke. A stale premise, the dull thud of a punchline, and I can only use the classic “X, Y, and Z walk into a...
What We’ll Need to do Better Next Year Unfortunately, I was right about the Blue Jays losing this year’s ALCS. Even more unfortunately, I was wrong in predicting they’d at least put up a good fight. We certainly went down swinging in the wrong way. Encarnacion’s awkward 9th inning hacks in Game 5 certainly won’t be as fondly remembered as Bautista’s bat flip or either of Joe Carter’s...
Real Men Don’t Commit Sexual Assault, Let Alone Brag About It In case you missed it, Donald Trump was recently caught admitting to being a sexual predator. I won’t repeat his comments because they’re disgusting, degrading, and have already reached memetic proportions. While I was surprised by the sheer vulgarity of what he said, I can’t say I found the admission especially surprising...