Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is described by the Canadian Supreme Court as being “80-100 times more potent than morphine and 25-50 times more potent than pharmaceutical grade heroin” (para 94). This potency, combined with the fact that the drug is both odourless and colourless, makes the risk of (accidental) overdoses extremely high. Indeed, given its […]
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Educational Entertainment: Learning the Law Through Celebrity Misconduct
During my undergrad, I recall one professor asking how many students in our class knew the steps required for a bill to be passed in the House of Commons. In a room of approximately one hundred students (many of whom were Political Science majors), only several raised their hands. The professor then asked how […]
What are shoppers to do?
Grocery stores are necessary for most people as it is challenging to grow food, and there are few other places to buy it. Lately, large chains have exploited people’s need for grocery stores. This year, Walmart and Loblaw have made headlines for taking advantage of customers by allegedly using deceptive pricing schemes and price […]
Jailhouses of Horrors: Inhumane Conditions Inside Ontario’s Jails
I don’t think it a controversial point to consider that a society’s moral health is evidenced by its collective treatment of those individuals existing at its margins: that is, its poor, its sick, and its unhoused (to name but a few). It is for this reason, I suspect, that promises to uplift these individuals often […]
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words: Do Appearances Matter in a Courtroom?
Each of us is familiar with the adage that a ‘picture is worth a thousand words.’ It implies that visual images and sights can communicate information far more efficiently than the written word. While the adage commonly refers to drawings and photographs, it can also be extended to include our physical appearances. And so, armed […]
Undermining Jordan? Legal Aid Clients and 11(b) Applications
Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that individuals charged with an offence have the right “to be tried within a reasonable time.” But what does this right actually mean? How and where do our courts draw the legal line between reasonable and unreasonable time? Put differently, at what point […]
A Constitutional Look at Campus Encampments
Across North America, encampments have cropped up on university campuses in reaction to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The demands of the protestors holding the encampments vary, but most protestors want universities to make their investments public and divest from any companies profiting from the actions of Israel in Gaza or selling supplies to […]
The Private Sector Isn't the Only Threat to Public Healthcare
Access to public health care is essential to many Canadians. The availability of private healthcare is often seen as a threat to the public system and its purported equal access to healthcare. These fears are reasonable. If medical professionals could make more money somewhere else, why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn't you pay for better care […]
Banning the Flipper Zero Won't Stop Hackers
The Flipper Zero is a handheld 'hacking device' that allows tinkerers to send and receive radio signals. (Flipper Zero) There’s a saying that nuance has no place in politics. There are few better examples than the February announcement by the Federal government to ban ‘hacking devices’, such as the Flipper Zero, to combat vehicle theft. […]
Can You Say No to Your Employer’s Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccine Policy?
By: Mahta Talani Vaccination is an invasive medical treatment and a personal decision requiring individual consent. As of today, approximately 71% of Ontarians are fully vaccinated. However, although a minority, that leaves 29% of Ontarians with questions about their rights and their job security. A recent poll completed in August 2021 by KPMG found that […]
