Law Archive

  • On February 4th a 23 year old Saudi journalist, Hamza Kashgari posted three tweets on his Twitter account referring to Mohammad.  ”On your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a...

    Interpol-itics

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    On February 4th a 23 year old Saudi journalist, Hamza Kashgari posted three tweets on his Twitter account referring to Mohammad.  ”On your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a...

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  • “Is it proper to compel someone to sit as a juror?” The issue has come about due to a rather unusual event which took place here in London where 20 people were rounded up in the street and told to appear before a judge the next day as potential jurors. Here is what happened: On January 17th, three men were...

    You can lead a juror to court, but you can’t make him think.

    Posted on February 2, 2012 | No Comments
    “Is it proper to compel someone to sit as a juror?” The issue has come about due to a rather unusual event which took place here in London where 20 people were rounded up in the street and told to appear before a judge the next day as potential jurors. Here is what happened: On January 17th, three men were...

    Continue Reading...

  • This week a jury in Kingston, Ontario convicted three people of first degree murder: Afghan immigrant Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their son Hamed Shafia. Dead are Mr. Shafia’s three daughters and his first wife. While the facts of the case were interesting in their own right, to me the most important feature of the trial was...

    Social approval at the root of “honour” killings

    Posted on February 2, 2012 | No Comments
    This week a jury in Kingston, Ontario convicted three people of first degree murder: Afghan immigrant Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their son Hamed Shafia. Dead are Mr. Shafia’s three daughters and his first wife. While the facts of the case were interesting in their own right, to me the most important feature of the trial was...

    Continue Reading...

  • There is an increasingly alarming trend in society today and that is the practice of punishment which is excessive to the crime. The Canadian government’s Omnibus Crime Bill has passed third reading in the House and has moved onto the Senate for its rubber stamp approval.  One of the more disturbing elements of the Bill is the provision for mandatory...

    Excessive punishment on trial.

    Posted on December 8, 2011 | 1 Comment
    There is an increasingly alarming trend in society today and that is the practice of punishment which is excessive to the crime. The Canadian government’s Omnibus Crime Bill has passed third reading in the House and has moved onto the Senate for its rubber stamp approval.  One of the more disturbing elements of the Bill is the provision for mandatory...

    Continue Reading...

  • The recent court case of Winston Blackmore and James Oler of Bountiful, B.C. has ignited considerable debate over the practice of polygamy and of the definition of marriage. The issue can be examined from many angles.  There are moral, religious and legal arguments for and against polygamy.  However, I particularly found interesting the growing list of non sequitur arguments. The...

    Polygamy – untangling the web

    Posted on December 2, 2010 | No Comments
    The recent court case of Winston Blackmore and James Oler of Bountiful, B.C. has ignited considerable debate over the practice of polygamy and of the definition of marriage. The issue can be examined from many angles.  There are moral, religious and legal arguments for and against polygamy.  However, I particularly found interesting the growing list of non sequitur arguments. The...

    Continue Reading...

  • The incidents of criminal trials being conducted out of the eyes of the public or the press seem to be increasing and if the rate publication bans continues justice in this country may become a thing of the past. Ayn Rand once wrote, “Justice is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake the character of men as you...

    Publication bans – see no evil, see no justice

    Posted on May 6, 2010 | No Comments
    The incidents of criminal trials being conducted out of the eyes of the public or the press seem to be increasing and if the rate publication bans continues justice in this country may become a thing of the past. Ayn Rand once wrote, “Justice is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake the character of men as you...

    Continue Reading...