The view expressed herein reflect the view of the author, and does not reflect the opinion of Obiter or its Editorial Board. Obiter Dicta stands for freedom of expression, and commits to reflecting in its print editions the variety of viewpoints submitted for publication. We always welcome student feedback, whether we agree with it or not. This is one such viewpoint. Against the backdrop of the...
If You Don’t Like What We Have To Say, Why Don’t You Write Why & Attach Your Name to It?
Dear Obiter: Osgoode is set to compete this week in the International Law Student Mediation Tournament in Chicago. As a member of one of Osgoode’s teams, I received an email from Loyola University providing me with a few tips for my anticipated journey. They advised that “[i]n an effort to be eco-friendly[,] water facilities are available at Loyola,” and that “water...
Dear Obiter: In November 2013, a Black female law student at Osgoode Hall Law School was racially profiled while studying in the Osgoode Hall Library. The student was asked by an Osgoode staff person to provide identification because “she did not look like an Osgoode student.” The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at Osgoode is deeply concerned about incidents of racial profiling and...
Dear Editors, I recently became aware of the passing late last year of former Osgoode Hall Law School professor Michael Mandel. Many of the hagiographic obituaries, such as that in the Canadian Lawyer Magazine, portrayed one element of his impact on legal education at Canada’s largest law school. I attended Osgoode in the mid-1980s and had a different perspective on the quality of education...
In late November, the Obiter Dicta ran a seemingly light and playful article on how Osgoode students could hide any extra pounds gained in the winter months. The article detailed how bold colours, structured tops, and “make up enhancers” could create a slimmer look. While these recommendations may aim to help individuals gain greater self-esteem in their appearance, they also have the effect of...
As the year comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on past misgivings. Sadly, I had done nothing of importance to be considered for the Top 20 Under Twenty before I turned 20 myself. In response, I wrote this lamentation: Due to the unfortunate condition that will be imposed on me in a moment’s time, and the utter urgency for me to perform some magnanimous action, I have decided to compose this...
KYLIE THOMAS
<Contributor>
I intend to be as polite as possible in responding to your incredibly discourteous email you felt the need to forward to the entire class.
The fight for gay rights in Canada has been a long and difficult one, but it is undeniable that the seeds of this struggle have successfully blossomed into the fruits of increased social acceptance and legal equality. Unfortunately, it is simultaneously undeniable that while gays and lesbians may have accomplished formal equality before the law, significant strides still remain to be made with...
EVAN VELLA
<Letter Writer>
I have been dismayed by this publication’s policy of publishing anonymous opinion pieces.
ANONYMOUS <Anonymous Person> <Probably Travis> I hope everyone had the pleasure of watching various world leaders’ speeches at the UN last week. The most informative and argumentatively sound speech was of course Mr. Netanyahu’s (Yahoo). I would offer my congratulations to him and his adoring fans at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the American Enterprise Institute. I...
Is our law library an open resource for every member of the Osgoode community? Apparently not. Who would have thought that our law library was being used to store books that students are banned from reading! After a request for an accompanying instructor’s manual to Bruce Ziff’s first-year text: A Property Law Reader was made by a student this past week, the library bureaucracy...