Law Commons^™

Litigating Canada-U.S. Transboundary Harm, Austen L. Parrish, Shi-Ling Hsu

Austen L. Parrish

This Article joins a spirited debate ongoing among international law scholars. Numerous articles have debated the changing nature of interna-tional law and relations: the impact of globalization, the decline of territorial-sovereignty, the ever important role that non-state actors play, and the growing use of domestic laws to solve transboundary problems. That scholarship, however, often speaks only in general theoretical terms, and has largely ignored how these changes are playing out in countries outside the United States in way that impact American interests. This Article picks up where that scholarship leaves off. It examines one of the perennial challenges for international …

The Confidentiality Of Seismic Data, Michael P. Simms, Van Penick

Dalhousie Law Journal

The authors review the common law, common contractual language and statutory law relating to the confidentiality of seismic information. The extent of the rights of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Boards to receive, use and make seismic data public is considered in light of freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation. The authors discuss the different treatment of specified user and speculative seismic data, and explore copyright.

Regulatory Issues Concerning Encana's Deep Panuke Project, Robert G. Grant

Dalhousie Law Journal

EnCana is proposing to develop the second gas producing project in the Scotian Shelf, the Deep Panuke Project. The author examines modifications to the Project from that initially proposed in 2002, the use of the previously approved Comprehensive Study Report, and the procedure for public review and approval. The author will also discuss major issues identified during the public hearing, held before a member of the NEB and the Commissioner appointed by the C-NSOPB, including EnCana's alternative options for carrying out the project, consultation with the Aboriginal communities, Canada-Nova Scotia benefits matters, consultation and engagement with the fishing industry, and …

Fallow Fields Initiatives And Canada's East Coast Offshore: Policy And Legal Considerations, Raymond E. Quesnel

Dalhousie Law Journal

The author examines various approaches adopted by government to balance the state's interest in promoting the timely and efficient exploration and development of oil and gas resources under state jurisdiction and industry's need for legal regimes providingsecurityoftenure and other conditions necessary for commercial success. In particular, the paper considers fallow field initiatives adopted by the United Kingdom in respect of the North Sea and their possible application to government's management of oil and gas resources in the Canadian east coast offshore areas, addressing applicable policy considerations, the legislative history of the statutory frameworks in place, and relatedjurisprudence.

Counting Outsiders: A Critical Exploration Of Outsider Course Enrollment In Canadian Legal Education, Natasha Bakht, Kim Brooks, Gillian Calder, Jennifer Koshan, Sonia Lawrence, Carissima Mathen, Debra Parkes

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In response to anecdotal concerns that student enrollment in "outsider" courses, and in particular feminist courses, is on the decline in Canadian law schools, the authors explore patterns of course enrollment at seven Canadian law schools. Articulating a definition of "outsider" that describes those who are members of groups historically lacking power in society, or traditionally outside the realms of fashioning, teaching, and adjudicating the law, the authors document the results of quantitative and qualitative surveys conducted at their respective schools to argue that outsider pedagogy remains a critical component of legal education. The article situates the numerical survey results …

From Mothers' Allowance To Mothers Need Not Apply: Canadian Welfare Law As Liberal And Neo-Liberal Reforms, Shelley A. M. Gavigan, Dorothy E. Chunn

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In this paper we examine changes in the form and content of Canadian welfare law through a historical, feminist lens using the exemplar of mother-headed families. Our analysis of how the state dealt with sole support mothers in several provinces throughout the twentieth century reveals important continuities, as well as discontinuities, between the past and the present that have shaped and reshaped the lives and experiences of poor women and their children. In doing so, it helps to illuminate how they have been rendered "undeserving" or "never deserving" with the neo-liberal (re)formation of the Keynesian state in Canada.

Aboriginal Rights.And The Atlantic Canada Petroleum Industry, David Reid, Stephanie Hickman

Dalhousie Law Journal

The authors explore the recent developments in Aboriginal law and their implications for the petroleum industry in Atlantic Canada. To set the stage, they provide a brief historical overview of Aboriginal settlement and land-use in the region, followed by a brief review of the petroleum industry's development in Atlantic Canada. After examining the state of the jurisprudence relating to Aboriginal rights generally,the authors turn to the current state of aboriginalrights, rights claims, and consultation obligations in the Atlantic Canadian context. The impact of the current state of the law on the petroleum industry is then analyzed and future trends outlined.

Anatomy Of A Liquefied Natural Gas Receiving Terminal In Atlantic Canada-An Overview Of The Legal And Regulatory Hurdles, A David Seely, Alexander Macdonald

Dalhousie Law Journal

A new industry is developing in Canada due to recent studies indicating that demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply in Canada and the U.S. is on the rise. As a result, the construction stage has begun for a number of proposed LNG receiving terminals in and around Atlantic Canada. The authors provide an overview of the current issues facing these LNG projects, such as their impact on fisheries, the environment, and Aboriginal rights. They discuss the regulatory framework governing these areas, the due diligence required to identify and address areas of concern, some commercial issues and safety and security …

The Implications Of Unclos For Canada's Regulatory Jurisdiction In The Offshore-The 200-Mile Limit And The Continental Shelf, Keith F. Miller

Dalhousie Law Journal

The author examines the current state of international law governing Canada's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the exploitation of hydrocarbons within its continental shelf. These rights are reviewed from a historical perspective through theprogression ofinternational conventions, the decisions ofinternational tribunals and the enactmentof Canadian federal laws. The article includes anexamination of Canada's rights under international law respecting its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf beyond, as well as a review of Canada's maritime boundary disputes with adjacent coastal states.

Executive Fraud And Canada's Regulation Of Executive Compensation, Bo James Howell

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Patent Eligible Subject Matter In The Biotechnological Arts, Benjamin A. Keim

Benjamin A Keim

This paper compares the patentability of biotechnology inventions under the laws of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Five specific categories of biotechnology are examined: genes and DNA, microorganisms, plants and animals, human embryonic stem cells, and medical methods. The WTO-TRIPS agreement establishes the underlying framework followed by these countries. All of these counties allow patenting of genes and DNA as well as microorganisms. Plant and animal patents are allowed in all the countries except Canada. Surgical and medical methods are only patentable in the U.S. and Australia. Human embryonic cells are patentable in all jurisdictions, except for …

The Role Of Local Governments In Great Lakes Environmental Governance: A Canadian Perspective, Marcia Valiante

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Restoration of environmental integrity in the Great Lakes Basin has been only a qualified success after thirty-five years of efforts pursuant to policies developed by federal, state, and provincial governments. Many unresolved problems stem from activities under local government control, yet in the past local governments were excluded from Great Lakes policy-making. By looking at recent changes in the powers, interests, experience, and influence of local governments in Ontario, this Essay concludes that local governments now have the ability to participate meaningfully in Great Lakes policy formation and implementation. To include local governments would improve the chances of successful restoration …

The Great Lakes As An Environmental Heritage Of Humankind: An International Law Perspective, A. Dan Tarlock

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Since 1985, the eight Great Lakes states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have cooperated to prevent almost all diversions of water from the Great Lakes basin. In 2005, the eight states signed an Agreement to create a tiered system of reviews for diversions and a draft interstate Compact, which creates a binding process to regulate diversions. This cooperation is primarily a state initiative, supported by the federal governments in both countries, which has paid little attention to the international character of the lakes. This Essay argues that there are three major benefits to the region from the …

Constitutional Questions About Canada's New Political Finance Regime, Colin Feasby

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The Supreme Court of Canada has considered the constitutionality of some aspects of the political finance regime that has been in place since 1974. Recent political finance reforms raise new and challenging constitutional questions. This article examines whether the political finance reforms introduced in the 2003 Elections Act and 2006 Accountability Act-limits on political contributions by individuals and an outright prohibition on union and corporate political contributions-are contrary to Charter guarantees of freedom of expression and freedom of association. Parliament's conflict of interest in regulating the democratic process and the implications that this conflict has for Charter analysis of the …

Prescribed By Law/Une Règle De Droit, Robert Leckey

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In Multani, the Supreme Court of Canada's kirpan case, judges disagree over the proper approach to reviewing administrative action under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The concurring judges questioned the leading judgment, Slaight Communications, on the basis that it is inconsistent with the French text of section I. This disagreement stimulates reflections on language and culture in Canadian constitutional and administrative law. A reading of both language versions of section 1, Slaight, and the critical scholarship 'reveals a linguistic dualism in which scholars read one version of the Charter and of the judgment and write about them in …

Slides: Forests And Grasslands, Federico Cheever

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

Presenter: Professor Federico Cheever, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

30 slides

The Growing Influence Of Tort And Property Law On Natural Resources Law: Case Studies Of Coal Bed Methane Development And Geologic Carbon Sequestration, Alexandra B. Klass

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

19 pages.

"Alexandra B. Klass, Associate Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School"

The Evolving Role Of Citizens In United States-Canadian International Environmental Law Compliance, Noah D. Hall

Noah D Hall

Citizen participation is critical in environmental law compliance. While citizens often have a major role in advancing compliance with domestic environmental law, citizens have historically had a much more limited role in international environmental law. However, a new model is emerging North America. The role of citizens in United States-Canadian international environmental law compliance has expanded greatly over the past several decades. Beginning in the 1970’s with increased public participation in binational governance agreements and expanding in the past two decades to formal roles in monitoring implementation of international environmental agreements, citizen participation is now central in the United States-Canadian …

Transboundary Pollution: Harmonizing International And Domestic Law, Noah D. Hall

Noah D Hall

Addressing transnational pollution requires both international and domestic law. Transnational pollution is an international problem that demands and deserves the attention of international legal mechanisms such as treaties, agreements, arbitration, and international management and governance. At the same time, transnational pollution problems can often be addressed more effectively and efficiently through the domestic legal system. An ideal approach is to harmonize transnational pollution management and dispute resolution under international and domestic law. This article seeks to provide pragmatic, feasible, and politically realistic solutions to transnational pollution by harmonizing international and domestic law. However, given the diversity in geography, domestic legal …

A.R.Buck, The Making Ofaustralian Property Law, Margaret Mccallum

Dalhousie Law Journal

Students in first year law in English-speaking common law schools in Canada follow a fairly standard curficulum, heavily weighted in favour of private law subjects such as torts, contracts and property, with criminal law, constitutional law, and perhaps a methods, theories or skills course rounding out their required courses. Most students find the content to be as they expected in courses in torts, contracts, criminal and constitutional law. These areas of law, after all, provide the law-related stories that are an increasing part ofnational and even international news. But many students find first year property a puzzle. They expect the …

Habermas, Legal Legitimacy, And Creative Cost Awards In Recent Canadian Jurisprudence, Michael Fenrick

Dalhousie Law Journal

Access to justice continues to be a live issue in Canadian courtrooms. While state-sponsored initiatives that promote access continue to flounder in Canada or in some cases, are cancelled altogether, the pressure is mounting to find creative solutions that facilitate greater participation in formal dispute resolution processes. The price of failing in this regard is very high. To truly flourish, both social cohesion and individual liberties require a more participatory and inclusive legal system than the one that currently precludes all but the wealthiest from accessing our courts. Drawing on the legal philosophy of Jargen Habermas, the author examines access …

Beyond Self-Congratulations: The Charter At 25 In An International Perspective, Louise Arbour, Fannie Lafontaine

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the authors situate the Canadian human rights evolution in an international context. They look first at the context of the Charters adoption and the characteristics that make it an agent of positive social change in Canada. Secondly, they discuss three areas where interaction between international legal values and our domestic human rights system can be rendered more effective: a) the use of international law in defining the content and possible limitations of Charter rights; b) the increased necessity for a better implementation of international human …

The Charter 25 Years Later: The Good, The Bad, And The Challenges, Beverley Mclachlin

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This year, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Charter, journals and newspapers are replete with evaluations. Some are positive, some less so. Some are downright critical. Today, I would like to offer my reflections on the good news and the bad news about the Charter,a quarter-century on.

Law's Religion: Rendering Culture, Benjamin L. Berger

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article argues that constitutional law's inability to deal with religion in a satisfying way flows, in part, from its failure to understand religion as, in a robust sense, culture. Once one begins to understand the Canadian constitutional rule of law itself as a cultural form, it becomes apparent that law renders religion in a very particular fashion, and that this rendering is a product of law's symbolic categories and interpretive horizons. This article draws out the elements of Canadian constitutionalism's unique rendering of religion and argues that, although Canadian constitutionalism claims to understand religion as a culture, this is …

Tending The Bar: The "Good Character" Requirement For Law Society Admission, Alice Woolley

Dalhousie Law Journal

Every Canadian law society requires thatapplicants for bar admission be of "good character" The author assesses the administration of this requirement and its statedpurposes ofensuring ethical conductby lawyers, protecting the public and maintaining the profession's reputation. In particular, the premise underlying the use of the good character requirement to fulfill those purposes - that character is the "well-spring of professional conduct in lawyers" - is subjected to critical examination through the theoretical principles of Artistotelian virtue ethics and the empirical evidence of social psychology. The primary thesis of this paper is that as currently justified, administered and applied the good …

Promissory Estoppel, Proprietary Estoppel And Constructive Trust In Canada: "What's In A Name?", Jane Matthews Glenn

Dalhousie Law Journal

This paper explores the similarities and differences between promissory estoppel, proprietary estoppel and the remedial constructive trust. Although the three are quite different at one level, as the first is a defence to an action, the second a cause of action as well as a defence, and the third simply a remedy to a cause of action, a closer examination reveals certain underlying similarities. The comparison highlights proprietary estoppel, an oft-overlooked concept in Canada, but which is comparable to promissory estoppel at the substantive level and the constructive trust at the remedial level.

The Health Insurance Debate In Canada: Lessons For The United States?, Mary Anne Bobinski

Faculty Articles

This Essay begins with an intentionally ambiguous title. Are comparisons to Canada relevant and useful for policy-makers in the United States and, if so, what lessons can we learn? Part II of this Essay highlights some of the risks and benefits of cross-border comparisons between the United States and Canada. In Part III, I analyze some of the key data points often cited in comparing the two health care systems. Part IV explores the current Canadian debate about private health insurance. Finally, in Part V, I focus on the lessons from Canada for the health insurance debate in the United …

Diversifying Without Discriminating: Complying With The Mandates Of The Trips Agreement, Graeme B. Dinwoodie, Rochelle C. Dreyfuss

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Since the Patent Act was revised in 1952, patent law has expanded to cover an array of novel endeavors--new fields of technology (notably computer science and business methods) as well as the activities of researchers engaged in fundamental scientific discovery. These changes have been accompanied by shifts in the organizational structure of the technological community, with smaller firms and universities emerging as important players in the patent system, and by new marketplace expectations arising from consumer demand for interoperable technology and converging functionality. As a result of these developments, structural flaws in the legal order have become evident. Although the …

Charter Dialogue Revisited – Or Much Ado About Metaphors, Wade Wright, Allison Thornton, Peter Hogg

Law Publications

This article is a sequel to the 1997 article “The Charter Dialogue Between Courts and Legislatures (Or Perhaps The Charier of Rights Isn't Such A Bad Thing After All).” In the present article, the authors review various academic critiques of their “dialogue” theory, which postulates that Charter decisions striking down laws arc not the last word, but rather the beginning of a “dialogue,” because legislative bodies are generally able to (and generally do) enact sequel legislation that accomplishes the main objective of the unconstitutional law. The authors also examine the Supreme Court of Canada's dicta on the “dialogue” phenomenon, and …

Reply To Charter Dialogue Revisited, Wade Wright, Allison Thornton, Peter Hogg

Law Publications

No abstract provided.