That was one of the questions put to viewers by Netflix’s recent documentary, The Social Dilemma. The documentary interviews prominent technological experts who helped design some of the most iconic social media functions: for example, Facebook’s “like” button. The documentary begins with experts acknowledging there is a problem but having difficulty labelling and defining the problem. Of...
A few weeks ago, the French film Cuties landed on Netflix amid a torrent of criticism that the movie promotes pedophilia. The outrage was largely tied to the image that Netflix had chosen to market the film, which showed the movie’s 11-year-old protagonists—a group of girls who form a dance troupe—in sexually suggestive poses and clad in skin-tight, barely-there costumes. The image was, as...
With new talent in tow,, the Blues appear poised to mount a title challenge In a Premier League offseason in which business as usual was severely dampened by COVID’s impact on normally bursting club coffers, Chelsea had a transfer window for the ages. While financial juggernauts like Manchester City tightened their purse strings, tinpot clubs like Liverpool furloughed staff, and Arsenal players...
A championship-proven team. Free food and drinks. Free penthouses. Coaching and medical staff attending to your needs. A city and country that loves and adores you. The opportunity to repeat as NBA champions. Who would say no to that? Kawhi could’ve had everything he wanted had he stayed in Toronto. Ultimately, the allure of playing in his hometown was the deciding factor for Kawhi to leave...
On September 12, 2020, it was announced that the New York Islanders general manager, Lou Lamoriello, former GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had won the Jim Gregory award for General Manager of the Year. Much like any time the Islanders scored on or had beaten the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, or Tampa Bay Lightning on the road to the Eastern Conference Final, my dad was quick to let me...
Welcome to Obiter 2020-2021 When I joined Obiter in 2018, I had a simple goal; write about law school as little as possible, and remind people that behind their academic veneer, they were far more than just students. I wrote to show people that who they were before law school was someone still worth being, that these legal identities prescribed for us were not as all-consuming as they felt. ...
This year, more than any other year, Obiter Dicta is committed to ensuring the voices that need to be heard have a platform to call theirs. We are committed to doing everything within our power as a paper to publish pieces that are representative of the change that has occurred, and the change that is yet to come. Police brutality, structural racism, and systemic injustice have inspired the...
From Dr. Theresa Tam to Osgoode Hall’s Faculty Council When the pandemic first became a reality late last spring, it was not obvious what the world would look like six months down the road. Many – including myself – were expecting a shut-down of at least a couple months, but nobody could have predicted that we would still be practicing social distancing on a society-wide scale in mid...
Investing has always seemed to be somewhat of a mystery to the average person. However, this is quickly changing. In one way or another, nearly all Canadians have had some exposure to the capital markets, whether it be through the Canadian Pension Plan, their retirement account, or their deposits at the bank. Eventually, all this money is used as capital to support businesses who need it, and...
In June 2020, violence erupted at the Indian-Chinese border. Soldiers from both sides fought with their bare hands, pelting stones and wielding iron bars and nail-studded clubs – all in pitch darkness. Many fell to their deaths, off a steep cliff and into the freezing Galwan river. India and China share a nearly 3500 km. long boundary, split into three sectors: the Western LAC (Line of...
The stock market is not the economy, and the economy is not the stock market. The two have always been distinct, but the disconnect has perhaps never been more pronounced. Yet, confusion abounds (thanks, in part, to the efforts of self-styled investing gurus on TikTok and other social media “finfluencers”). I hope to alleviate some of that confusion with this article. If I can save at least one...
Whether it’s because of its domination of online retail, its tax-evading strategies, or its founder’s wealth, Amazon has been under constant fire in the past few years from political commentators, consumers, and the media. In August, the Canadian Competition Bureau launched an investigation into Amazon for activity potentially impacting competition to the detriment of consumers and businesses in...
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) organizes law students and lawyers to develop and enforce a set of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons. We’re gearing up for a 2020-2021 year filled with events, the latest migration news, and effective advocacy on behalf of our clients. This year, the IRAP Osgoode chapter will: Work on the case files of 3 applicants...
Hello Osgoode! To the 1Ls, welcome to Osgoode Hall! We’re excited that you chose Osgoode Hall to begin your legal career. The Asian Law Students Association (ALSA) is a student club at Osgoode Hall Law School committed to fostering a friendly student environment and working towards dismantling systemic barriers in the legal profession and beyond. We provide mentorship and networking...
As the world zooms into an online universe, it’s more important than ever that we understand new technologies and their implications. As such, we have rebranded from Osgoode Fintech & Blockchain Association (OBFA) to Osgoode Emerging Technology Association (OETA) to keep in line with that mission. Our purpose is to focus holistically on legal innovation and educate our student body on...
On behalf of the Disability Collective of Osgoode, we want to welcome you all to Osgoode—and we want to extend a particular welcome to incoming Osgoode students who have disabilities. You belong here, and we’re glad you’re here! We know that sometimes, navigating law school as a disabled student can be a challenging, confusing, and isolating experience. We’ve been there—and we’re here to provide...
The Competition Law Society is dedicated to providing Osgoode students opportunities to learn about and network in the area of competition and antitrust law. As the only competition law school club in Canada, TCLS has provided students opportunities to learn from competition lawyers in private practice, prosecutors, members of the Competition Bureau and the judiciary. After an incredible debut in...
The Osgoode Securities Law Association (OSLA) is a new club at Osgoode Hall Law School formed by a group of students interested in facilitating opportunities to learn and network in the area of securities laws. Because of the increasing reliance on capital markets by businesses and citizens, securities law is becoming an ever-more significant area of practice and expertise. OSLA aims to keep a...
The Osgoode Women’s Network (OWN) is a student organization at Osgoode Hall Law School offering the opportunity for student involvement and focusing on professional and personal development. Founded in 2009 in support of Ontario’s Justicia Project, OWN’s mission is to advance women in law. We have since become one of the largest groups at Osgoode. We provide an inclusive...
Imagine if six months ago you knew that the coronavirus pandemic was coming, yet you still had to keep making plans for the future that you knew inevitably would be completely disrupted. This is how many young people feel about planning their lives while staying acutely aware of the reality of the climate crisis. Over the past six months COVID-19 has monopolized the attention of governments...
The Osgoode Privacy Law Society (OPLS) is passionate about increasing awareness about interdisciplinary privacy issues in industries such as health, employment, and technology. OPLS is dedicated to supplementing the foundational privacy seminar at Osgoode Hall Law School to provide students with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge about an increasingly important area of practice through...
What This Means and Why We Should Care It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way governments around the world operate. You don’t need to look much further than south of the border, where an already controversial federal government has further fallen into disrepair in the face of the pandemic. In a country that was once considered a bastion of democracy, we now see the...
On August 28th, the world got the shocking news that actor Chadwick Boseman had passed away at the age of 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. We learned that day that Boseman chose to keep his illness a secret while working on the projects that brought him to fame. Needless to say, Hollywood and, more significantly, the Black community is in mourning over the loss of an actor that took...
The new Mulan is the latest example of big-budget movies that fail to deliver on representation. The announcement of a live-action remake of Mulan, the 1998 Disney animated classic, was met with much fanfare. However, details about the possible addition of a white love interest and the rumour that Disney was not looking for an Asian actress to play Mulan was met with equal backlash. To win back...
Last November, Ray Chen played a recital in Toronto’s Koerner Hall. While Chen did not know it at the time, this performance was one of the last of the Old Age of classical music, which focused on overpriced concerts, traditional modes of teaching, armchair criticism, and poorly paid musicians. In totality, these markers resulted in what was perceived as a dying art form. Nonetheless, COVID...