As Managing Editor of Obiter Dicta, I am apparently obligated to write an editorial for every third issue of our publication. Considering I editorialize so often that the words I heard most growing up were “don’t editorialize”—my parents are both intellectuals and I had an extensive vocabulary even as a child—I could probably just write one of my usual articles and no one would notice. Draft...
The pressures of law school are seemingly endless. (Sorry, 1Ls, did I get off on the wrong foot here?) While that may seem like a less than comforting statement, particularly for the newer folks who may be reading this, I have chosen to write honestly rather than in a grandiose, preachy or pseudo-soothing manner that makes you want to shut me up before we even get to the good stuff. I trust that...
If you haven’t been living under a rock this past year, you’ve noticed Donald Trump has been trying to make America great again. There are some absolutely terribly fitting hats out there to remind you in case you’ve missed out on the movement. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent a little too much time trying to figure out exactly why he’s gained the popularity he has in this...
Addressing the Innovation Gap in Health On September 14, a United Nations high-level panel on access to medicines published a report that discusses the gap between the research and development (R&D) of health innovations and health outcomes. Broadly, the report recommends the following: making intellectual property laws more sensitive to public priorities; creating new incentives for...
Dr. Kenneth Lam’s Two Cents As Arm Chair GM: Part Two Source: The Toronto Star While there are many uncertainties with how draft picks would turn out, one thing is certain: Toronto head coach Mike Babcock thinks highly of Maple Leafs prospect Auston Matthews. However, rumour has it that the Leafs’ bench boss is thinking of starting the rookie centre up the middle on the third...
Inclusivity, like law school, is a work in progress. Source: fotolia.com Last issue, our colleague Simmy Sahdra authored a piece titled “They Say Sex Sells” for the Obiter Dicta. In this article, she correctly pointed out that Osgoode went to the Tilted Kilt for one of its O-Week activities. She also validly pointed out that our support of this venue contributes to women’s objectification in the...
Top 10 Recommended Fragrances for Fall 2016 Fall has arrived and choosing new fragrances for the changing temperature should not be a daunting task. It should be a fun experience! Here are my top ten favourite fragrances this season in alphabetical order: Female Black Opium (Eau de Parfum)by Yves Saint Laurent Head Notes: pink pepper, orange blssom, and pear Heart Notes: coffee, jasmine...
A Means to Distract From Climate Change Source: flavorwire.com As a former Starbucks barista, the first days of September meant only one thing: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES (or the beloved acronym “PSL”). Before anyone judges, I am an avid pumpkin lover. Pumpkin pie is life, pumpkin brownies are bliss, and pumpkin mac and cheese is a must try! However, I am no PSL fan partly because I...
Apple’s abandonment of hardware standard signals aggressive new IP strategy A demonstrator displays the bottom of the iPhone 7, which features a new microphone grille, where previous iPhones’ headphone jacks were once located. One of the most newsworthy updates to Apple Inc.’s recently released iPhone 7 is the wholesale elimination of the 3.5mm analog headphone jack, a...
The Iran Nuclear Deal: Barack Obama and Dwight D. Eisenhower In 2015, the P5+1 powers (the UN Security Council and Germany) negotiated a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to limit Iran’s nuclear weapons-making capabilities. American President Barack Obama considered the JCPOA one of the major triumphs of his administration. Opponents of the agreement argued that it established a...
“You’re up!” Shalaw shouted this while he firmly placed an Ak-47 over my chest. I was nervous. As things unfolded, it seemed as though my life was becoming a modern sequel to Voltaire’s Candide. A few days earlier, I was in Istanbul. I was backpacking alone and had just finished two months of travelling in Europe and North Africa. The scenery in Turkey was a marvel handsome enough to...
Only one side of this issue has any right to be upset 2016 has been an awkward year for race relations. After decades upon decades of watching their rights to due process getting filled with bullets and forced to pay for the spent ammunition, the black communities of North America seem to have collectively said “no more”, and began to protest on a large scale. Although I don’t...
How the Crown Mishandled Ivan Henry’s Trial During the summer months, there was much talk about the wrongful conviction of Ivan Henry, a BC native who spent nearly twenty-seven years behind bars for a series of sexual assaults that he never committed. After being acquitted in 2010 of his ten convictions, Henry initiated an action against the province of BC for which he sought forty-three million...
And what I said to them both Simile: “Oh Metaphor, how dare you flaunt your arrogance? How dare you press two things together until they flatten into one?” Metaphor: “What irony! That you would use me in an insult against me! And is it I who presses too hard? Or you who shies away from intimacy? You who are afraid the two won’t get along so well after all? I take pride in my...
The Best of blogTO’s Best of Toronto Hello Ozzies, and welcome to the first installment of this year’s Jurisfoodence! I am most humbled to be your host for this journey, where we will be diving into blogTO’s “Best of Toronto” feature and hopefully uncovering some culinary gems that may prove useful to the three people whose procrastination has led them to venture this many pages back in...
…But All At A Cost It was hard for me to pick what to write about for my first article of my last year at Osgoode. I was mulling over all the topical controversial news topics we have in the media currently, from the dreaded US elections, ongoing issues in the Middle East, bans on the burkini in France, etc. However, lately I have observed one issue which has consistently...
What do politicians do? This year has certainly been a very interesting one in the realm of politics. From the vigorous debates and drama in the US election, to Brexit, and to the elections in Philippines and Australia, the political departments of news and media outlets have seen a busy time. With the changing political landscape, we also see a change in the people...
On behalf of the Osgoode Hall Law Journal (OHLJ) Editorial Board, welcome to the 2016-2017 academic year! To those students returning: welcome back, you made it through another year. To the incoming 1Ls: congratulations on choosing Osgoode. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate those selected as Associate Editors. The applicant pool was extremely competitive this...
It was Todd who said it, flailing about like an eager pre-schooler anxious to answer his teacher’s question. “Me, me; pick me,” his flung-up finger eagerly solicited, as the heads of everyone whirred in his direction, multiple sets of eyes dilating on his ruddy expression. “Statistics show,” he said academically, “that when emergencies occur amid a group of people, response to the ailing is...
Details remain elusive at TPS consultation meeting with Jane and Finch community At a public consultation at the Driftwood Community Center on 7 September 2016, members of the Toronto Police Service (TPS) – including Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board Andy Pringle and Chief Mark Saunders – engaged the Jane and Finch community in a public consultation to elicit feedback on...
A call for sympathy The Philippines is under international scrutiny due to President Duterte’s violent and illegal anti-drug policies. Since becoming President on 30 May 2016, Duterte has encouraged the extrajudicial killing of drug offenders from both police departments and vigilante groups, stating in his inaugural speech at Davao City to “[d]o it yourselves if you have guns, you have my...
A plea for collaboration Whether you’re just starting out at Osgoode, entering 2L, 3LOLing or an LLM student, one thing is almost certainly clear to you by now: law school is competitive. Most classes are graded on a bell curve, there’s some kind of articling crisis happening, and there are only so many spots in club executives, moot teams and clinics/intensives. It’s a zero sum game right...
Horoscopes for Osgoode Hall Aries Recent events will cause you to consider the nature and quality of agreements, most notably, what is a contract, how can people rely on expectations, and what exactly is consideration? You may find your own expectations challenged. Allow yourself time to adjust. Taurus You will find yourself surrounded by comrades and allies. Remember that everyone around...
To say law school is a stressful environment would be both an understatement and a statement so ridiculously, blatantly obvious that you’d probably dislocate your jaw trying to say “duhhhhh” emphatically enough. I overheard someone say “everyone in law school has an anxiety disorder: it’s called law school”. We end up balancing about 500 pages of readings a week with social and family...
The long weekend has come and gone, and somehow classes have already begun! As hard as it is to dust of the books and return to the land of 8:30am classes, we are excited to see the halls of Osgoode filled with so many people again – and L&L is here to ease the transition! The Legal & Literary Society (or L&L for short) is your primary student government at Osgoode. We deal in...