Liberal democracy as the synthesis The Vanguard of Illiberalism Buckles With the dawn of a new decade, it appeared that the sun of the liberal democratic order was finally setting, and the phoenix of populism was rising. Then came 2022. The failure of the Freedom Convoy It began in Canada, with the Freedom Convoy protests in early February. What was supposed to be a revolutionary moment of...
The importance of highlighting Black mental health in law school In 2017, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), moderate depression, and general anxiety disorder. I was at the beginning of my second year of my undergraduate studies, and I felt like a failure in my life. The people closest to me thought I was exaggerating; “How could I get PTSD when I had not been to war...
The growth of “side hustle” culture and the desire to monetize hobbies What is the value of a hobby? Ask yourself that question and think about the way you frame your answer. If your first instinct is something along the lines of “it brings happiness or fulfillment” or “it satiates the feeling of ennui in my life,” then you will find yourself met with an exasperated sigh from judgmental on...
Law school is replete with creatives. From STEM to PHLEGMs, any ordinary person walking down Gowlings Hall on a busy weekday will come across at least five different kinds of students, each of whom comes from a different field in their pre-law life. This diversity is what makes us unique. Our past experiences are often the fires that fuel our desire to enter the legal profession in the first...
In June 2016, the federal government passed legislation that allows adults to request medical assistance in dying (MAID). On 2 February 2023, the federal government introduced legislation to extend the temporary exclusion of eligibility where a person’s sole medical condition is a mental illness for an additional year. In other words, people solely suffering from mental illness will be able to...
I was going to review the Economic Constitution of Canada—but I forgot. I guess I watched too many episodes, mooting, and of course, the grand prize, 1L. So that will be coming in the next issue. Instead, I will focus on something controversial that hopefully angers you, excites you, or at the very least causes some chaos. I say that we as a society have become in many ways undeserving of...
The legendary Johnny Cash album turns fifty-five in May of this year. Isn’t the live album something of an oddity? It makes one yearn for that incomparable experience of being serenaded by the shattering acoustics of an artist (or artists) on stage and in the flesh. On a record, however, the loud cheers, the back-and-forth chatter between audience and band, and that lively dynamism become...
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark for a week. Now, to preface the rest of this article, I want to say that Copenhagen is a very beautiful, clean, friendly, efficient, and well-run city. The transit system is great, the roads are lined with centuries-old houses, and I didn’t hear someone raise their voice while I was there. And might I say, the smørrebrød was simply...
“History wanted to be remembered. Evidence hated having to live in dark, hidden places and devoted itself to resurfacing. Truth was messy. The natural order of an entropic universe was to tend to it.” Last issue, I reviewed a novella written by Rivers Solomon (they/them) in collaboration with LA experimental hip-hop group clipping. As I hope that review adequately expressed, I find Solomon...
For the past twelve years in a row, I have dedicated the month of February to watching and ranking all of the films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. I am unsure as to how or why I started this silly little tradition, but it has become very near and dear to my heart. My opinion of a film can be shaped by the bias of how my life is going when I watch it...
Unbeknownst to many staff and students currently walking the halls, Osgoode Hall Law School has a long and illustrious history of playing ice hockey. The Osgoode Hall “Legalities” legacy began over 130 years ago, and this year, after a two and a half year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the revival of the Osgoode Hall hockey team continues to...
I love watching professional football/soccer. Personally, the beautiful game evokes tremendous levels of emotional passion, desire, excitement, anger, and despair. It is truly one of the greatest forms of entertainment that the world has to offer. When life is hard, people often turn to activities that comfort them. For many around the globe, that activity is enjoying soccer matches. However...
Usually, the NBA trade deadline is horrible. The NBA has perfected the use of social media to create tremendous levels of hype that consistently lets fans down. However, this year’s deadline brought huge fireworks that have completely shifted the balance of the league. In my opinion, here are the five most important moves. Kevin Durant to the desert KD was eviscerated by NBA fans for joining the...
Sports generally fall in one of two broad categories: those anyone can score and those only experts can score. It is easily discernible who wins in a freestyle relay, but it is harder to recognize ...
In December 2021, a group of unhoused persons began setting up tents on a vacant piece of municipally-owned property in downtown Kitchener. Over the next ten months, the encampment grew to over fifty persons, and in October 2022, the Region of Waterloo filed an application to injunct the residents from camping on the land for breaching its bylaws. In the ordinary course of events, this would have...
Premiers and territorial leaders across Canada may be able to finally take a collective sigh of relief as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tables a funding offer to help Canada’s struggling health care system. The provinces are already scheduled to get a 9.5-per-cent increase in healthcare transfers this year, amounting to $49.4 billion from the $45.2-billion in projected payments in the 2022-23...
As of 31 January 2023, the British Columbia government plans to decriminalize possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain drugs by those over 18, which is the first exemption of its kind in Canada. Given the overdose and drug crisis that is occurring in the province, the government’s response in decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of these drugs is aimed to reduce barriers and stigma...
Car-window smashing in Hamilton: A microcosm of archaic approaches to community problem solving At the risk of sounding like a familiar graphic t-shirt or hoodie: Hamilton is my home. I moved to the city in 2017, drawn to the blackened, flaming chimneys that straddle Nikola Tesla Boulevard, and line the shore of the harbour. Though the sight of the factories touched a deep-seated awe for human...
The present intrigue around AI and its potentially detrimental effects on the future In 1984, pop culture staple The Terminator was released in theatres to what I would imagine was largely fanfare and positive reception premised on its interesting concepts of what the future may look like. The chiseled frame of Schwarzenegger enacting sweet violence against another sentient robot touches on a key...
The events of 2022 have served to vindicate Francis Fukuyama and his now famous dictum on history Revisiting the End of History “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such … That is, the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution and the...
Since coming to law school, I have been rejected more times than ever before. Like many of my classmates, I participated in this year’s 1L Toronto Recruit. This recruit is typically described as a small recruit for Toronto Big Law firms, and I knew my chances were slim. A typical firm may only choose to interview and then hire a handful of extremely qualified candidates from all of Canada’s law...
“Their story took one of the most gruesome details of the Atlantic Slave Trade and reframed it. The murder of enslaved women was reimagined as an escape from murderous oppression, and the founding of a utopian civilization.” Written by Rivers Solomon (they/them), The Deep is a creative collaboration between Solomon and the members of the experimental hip-hop group clipping., made up of Daveed...
Complicated feelings about an important celebration The 2023 Grammys were a mishmash of the heartfelt (Kim Petras giving the late, pioneering SOPHIE their flowers), the predictable (“Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” winning Rap Album of the Year), and the shocking (Bonnie Rait!). However, the singular moment that towers over the flashiest of Harry Styles’ fits was the celebration of hip-hop’s...
When I was the Arts & Culture Editor last year, I wrote a couple “My Music” pieces. I always enjoyed working on these articles the most. I truly adore music of all kinds, and these pieces were a way for me to share the songs that were carrying me through the semester. In my last year of high school, one of my best friends was fortunate enough to buy himself a car. The day he first...
The National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star break has concluded, and Leafs fans had the opportunity to watch Mitch Marner fail to score on retired goaltender Roberto Luongo. This also means that the second half of the regular season is officially underway. The first half of the season was a roller coaster with injuries plaguing the entire defence core. However, the team rallied behind their young...