There will never be enough compensation to make whole Residential School Survivors or their families, but their experiences cannot be in vain. That requires getting at the truth which continues to rear its ugly presence, even more than 13 years after the Government of Canada formally apologized in 2008. Despite that apology, the wounds of the past continue to be reopened both for residential school survivors and their families…
Justice Category Archives
Time to Eliminate Most Civil Juries
Recently, Ontario’s Attorney General, the Honourable Doug Downey, notified Ontario lawyers that his office is considering eliminating juries for most civil matters. This notice to the profession has been hotly debated in the legal community, but this issue should be important to every citizen in Ontario who one day may rely on our justice system.
Can you consume alcohol in Ontario parks?
To the delight of business owners and consumers, provincial governments across Canada have been relaxing alcohol laws in an attempt to support hospitality industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ontario, for example, we have seen the government allow restaurants to expand their patios and include alcohol in takeout and delivery orders.
Fyre Festival: The Legal Fallout
In recent months, the infamous Fyre Festival has been under renewed scrutiny due to the release of two documentaries investigating the collapse of the luxury music festival.
What is Public Nuisance?
Public nuisance is unique and is a separate category in Tort from negligence. When considering public nuisance, the courts begin their inquiries based on the harm suffered and not on the property owner’s conduct. Therefore, the ‘reasonable steps’ to keep a premises safe are not relevant to a claim of a public nuisance.
Contingency Fee Arrangements
In Ontario, access to justice is an important issue that the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) take very seriously. In order to ensure access to justice for all, the LSO allows lawyers in this province to take on risky cases without being paid at the start. These arrangements are commonly called ‘contingency fees’, ‘no win no fees’ or ‘speculative fees’. They are one type of retainer between a lawyer and client.