A partial list of the ridiculous things that happened during the seventh inning in game five of the ALDS “Bilbo rushed along the passage, very angry, and altogether bewildered and bewuthered – this was the most awkward Wednesday he ever remembered.” This throwaway line from The Hobbit has always been one of my favourites, both because of the wonderful made-up word bewuthered, and because...
Just Politics or Path to Privatization? If you have followed the debate about Ontario doctors for the past few months, you might think it is all about their income. As recently as last week, Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins reassured the Legislative Assembly that doctors’ service fees have gone up sixty percent since the Liberals took office a decade ago and that Ontario physicians are amongst the best...
Current Students Host Oz Applicants Osgoode Hall’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) hosted their annual Opportunity Day event on Saturday 17 October. BLSA members welcomed nearly sixty event participants, most of whom are people of colour, and all of whom are planning to apply to law school within the next year or two. “Opportunity Day is a chance for current undergraduates, high school...
A Comparison of the 2015 Team With Its 1992 Predecessor Part Three: Examining the Starting Pitching: Front of the Rotation Correction: This article was intended for publication in Volume 89, Issue 4. There is an old saying in baseball: good pitching stops good hitting. In Part One, I compared the infield of the 2015 American League Division Series-bound Blue Jays with its 1992 predecessor, the...
Global Status of the Artist Acts originated from the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. Differing from other professions, those involved within the arts not only require social and labour protection, but also moral, economic and social rights that include income and social security. The UNESCO Recommendation and General Conference recognizes and affirms an intensive...
One of the reasons why sports is so ubiquitous is not only because of the celebrity of its performers, but a lot of the issues that are pervasive in society—issues surrounding race, ethnicity, and class—are (usually) suppressed for a moment, allowing us to enjoy the competition inherent to the game. Now, I am not saying that sports are free of those issues, but for the most part, sports remains...
A Story of Decisions and Revelations I’ve known my friend Taylor since grade ten. Even back then, he had a reputation around the school as one of the kindest, most approachable people you’d ever meet. Intelligent and charismatic, with the looks of a young Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor had an easy-going magnetism about him, along with an uncanny affinity for human empathy that I have always envied...
The Role of the Sustainable Development Goals The United Nations voted unanimously to enact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 25 September. “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” officially comes into effect on 1 January 2016, essentially replacing the Millennium Development Goals that expire this year. These news SDGs provide countries with a...
A bi-weekly roundup of legal television Week of October 1, 2015 – October 16, 2015 Episode Grades (according to the Osgoode Bell Curve) A – The Good Wife Episode 1 B+ – The Grinder Episode 2 B+ – HTGAWM Episode 2 B+ – L&O:SVU Episode 1+2 B – The Grinder Episode 3 B – The Good Wife Episode 2 B – L&O:SVU Episode 3 B – HTGAWM Episode 4 C – HTGAWM Episode 3 C – L&O:SVU Episode 4...
Law students must learn to steadfastly defend clients’ interests and advance the public good, all while upholding the integrity of our legal system. Why must we do these things? Because we will take an oath, and in that oath, these twin obligations — to clients and society as a whole — are tantamount to one another, rather than conflicting. Professional integrity and competence then, require that...
Let the Complainant-Whacking Commence Correction: This article was intended for publication in Volume 89, Issue 4. On 2 October 2015, Jian Ghomeshi, flanked by his lawyers and surrounded by police, entered Old City Hall where he plead not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. The plea should come as no surprise; Ghomeshi published a Facebook post shortly after the...
Food Adventure #3: Patria Name: Patria Location: 478 King Street West Category: Spanish tapas Atmosphere: Upscale, trendy, friendly Additional info: Has outdoor patio. Reservations recommended. Website: www.patriatoronto.com Today, we will be reviewing Patria – an acclaimed Spanish tapas eatery...
This past summer, California passed a bill narrowing the scope of allowable vaccine exemptions for children entering public schools, private schools, and daycares. Personal and religious exemptions have been eliminated; only medical exemptions remain. This seemingly heavy-handed legislation is intended to increase the childhood vaccination rate, which has been declining over the past decades. Why...
The right to be free from non-consensual medical treatment is deeply entrenched in Canadian case law[1] and statute.[2] Consensual medical treatment embodies the principles of individual autonomy and self-determination.[3] In non-emergency situations, all medical treatments require informed, capable, and voluntary consent that is free from fraud and misrepresentation.[4] If a patient is capable...
“Here it is, the groove, slightly trans…formed. Just a bit of a break from the norm…” Nostalgic, isn’t it? Next May will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the timeless single that still gets airplay on the radio. Of course, I’m referring to “Summertime,” the g-funk-inspired melody from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Next summer may be a break from the norm. The free agency class of 2016...
Live at the Danforth Music Hall, 30 September 2015 On 24 August, Destroyer released Poison Season on Merge Records, a modest four and a half years after the release of Kaputt. With a jammed-packed schedule of dates all across North America, Destroyer’s tour in support of the album looks gruelling,. The band stopped into Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on September 30th and I was lucky enough...
THE BORGIAS Originally Aired On: Bravo!, Showtime Series Length: 3 seasons, 29 episodes Set during the turn of the 16th century, The Borgias follow the rise and fall of the notorious, Rodrigo Borgia, and his family, whose very name became a byword for depravity, nepotism, and corruption. The series begins in 1492, immediately following the death of Pope Innocent VIII, and sees Cardinal Borgia...
A bi-weekly roundup of legal television Week of 28 September 2015 – 1 October 2015 Welcome to TV L Rev, a bi-weekly review column of scripted legal television shows currently airing. Lawyers and shows about them are an enduring staple of television content. Spanning genres from serious dramas to comedies, there is always a legal show somewhere on television. There appears to be something...
A Netflix Guide to Shaking an Early Fall Cold With the chilly weather and the beginning of cold and flu season upon us, many of us are hunkering down, spending more time indoors and doing what some of us do best – “Netflix and chill”. Like my colleagues who have reviewed television in other excellent articles within this issue, I too have decided to write about what is on our favourite streaming...
How Important is Health? On September 25, the United Nations affirmed the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), a fifteen-year plan to end poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Officially titled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and set to come into effect on 1 January 2016, the SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (“MDGs”) that expire...
Feasible or Impossible? During the past decade there have been significant developments in the field of international environmental law due to the factual understanding that environmental issues transcend national borders and legal systems. However, the scientific uncertainty about the long‐term effects of international environmental risks often allows nations to justify postponing compliance...
Where do we actually stand on this issue? Canada likes to pride itself for being progressive on refugee issues, but is it really as kind and open to refugees as we would like to believe? The saddening story of Alan Kurdi has raised some doubts about Canada’s self-image. Tima Kurdi had attempted to sponsor her brother Mohammed and his family to come to Canada, but did not have enough money to...
The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ) is a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to access to justice research and advocacy. The CFCJ was founded in 1998 and moved to Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in 2011. Earlier this year the CFCJ launched the Access to Justice Research Network (AJRN), an interactive online platform that invites the discussion and dissemination of...
The Stories Behind Law From 10 September to 13 September, approximately forty students and faculty members from Osgoode Hall Law School traveled to Neyaashiinigmiing (Cape Croker), about four hours north of Toronto. Professor Andrée Boiselle worked with John Borrows, his daughter Lindsay Borrows, and their community, the Chippewas of Nawash, to organize the camp and welcome us to...
Will an iconic piece of Toronto architecture turn into a shopping centre? Last year in Professor Berger’s criminal law class, a few friends and I went down to Old City Hall for the afternoon to watch bail court for an assignment. A few of us had never entered the building before, so we were pretty excited to see what it looked like, and since the facade of the Old City Hall is pretty remarkable...