Which Rights? Whose Voices?If we are truly to value our diversity and see it as a strength at a time when we need as much wisdom as we can find, we must be willing to embrace others and not simply be tolerant. Tolerance and sympathy are not the same as empathy and respecting each other as equals.
Jurisdiction Over Well-Being and Back-to-School MeasuresIn the summer, I was awarded the Christine Huglo Robertson Award for an essay on Indigenous communities’ responses to emergencies and COVID-19. An earlier blog post explored issues of data sovereignty and public health management. This blog post will look at aid and how communities decided to handle the new school year. In May, the […]
Data Sovereignty and COVID-19Back in March, the world was learning to cope with ever-changing restrictions on daily life. I tried to focus on passing my fourth semester of law school but could not help tuning in to daily press briefings by the Prime Minister, provincial premiers, and territorial health officers. (I was following the situation in Nunavut, where […]
CIAJ Comment on the AFNQL Action Plan on Racism and DiscriminationOn September 29th, 2020, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador unveiled the “AFNQL Action Plan on Racism and Discrimination”. The Action Plan provides examples of concrete steps that various actors in Quebec society can take to advance reconciliation. The document supports a holistic and collective approach to end racism and discrimination against Indigenous People in […]
Appreciating the Role of Emotions in the Court RoomThe judges at the Montreal Palais de Justice have to be commended for their commitment to the training and education of law students. The Court accepted 12 candidates from CIAJ’s judicial internship program despite the difficult circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the social distancing protocols put in place at the court, one could […]
Interning at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador: A ReflectionThis summer, I have had the invaluable opportunity to intern at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John’s. I was particularly fortunate because in a typical summer the court is on recess, so complex matters are not heard. However, due to the effects of the COVID-19 shutdown, the court is continuing to […]
Why We Should Continue to Inquire Into Jury RepresentationOver the last year, CIAJ has hosted four Roundtables that brought together actors of the justice system to talk about the under-representation of Indigenous Peoples on criminal juries. The study of systemic discrimination in the context of juries and jury selection is not new, and the problem persists.
Creatures of Statute: Born Free, Bound in Chains. A Unifying Principle of Administrative Law?Imagine. You are a dog. A small dog with big attitude. You are out for a walk in the park, minding your own business. You head for the spot you always go for. As you run, all of a sudden SNAP! The leash becomes taught, the collar tightens, and you can’t breathe. You fall to […]
COVID-19: First Nations Communities May Have the Most to LoseWhile Canadians take measures to protect against COVID-19, First Nations communities may have the most to lose. Protecting vulnerable populations has been a paramount concern across Canada during the COVID-19 crisis, and this holds especially true for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The vulnerability of these communities has been emphasized by Canada’s Chief Public […]
CIAJ’s Judicial Internships Across Canada: A McGill Student’s Experience Alongside a Chief JusticeThis past August brought me back to New Brunswick for a week at the Court of Appeal. After living in Montreal, Fredericton appeared even more bucolic than I remembered, especially in the late-summer tranquility before university students enliven the streets. The timing of my visit was for less congenial reasons: Chief Justice Marc Richard decided […]
