Law Commons^™

An Epidemic Amidst A Pandemic: A Critical Policy Analysis Of Supervised Consumption Sites, Vanisa Ezukuse

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study's primary purpose is to critically appraise current federal and provincial policies regarding supervised consumption sites (SCS), noting intended and unintended consequences; and how these policies could impact SCS users. This study's secondary goal is to compare current policies related to SCS in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec to provide critical insight and suggestions for ongoing policy development. Carol Bacchi’s (2009) “What is the Problem Represented to Be?” framework was applied to the Canadian policy document with a focus on SCS. Four themes are proposed: Public Health versus Criminality, Presumptions versus Assumptions, Policy Unaccountability, and Policy Duality. It …

Legal Economics And The Canadian Accredited Investor Standard: Efficiency As A Proxy For Change, Jeremy White

Master of Laws Research Papers Repository

This paper takes a legal-economic approach in assessing the current accredited investor standard that exists as part of Canada’s securities laws. An accredited investor is often characterized as an individual that, due to his or her wealth, may participate in certain investment opportunities that would otherwise not be available. Canada’s National Instrument 45-106 views accredited investors as those with a unique ability to understand financial markets, and due to this level of understanding, the typical disclosure protections afforded to the public—mainly, the prospectus—are not necessary to these individuals.

A legal-economic approach to the accredited investor standard looks at the system …

Canada's Customary Obligation To Prevent Transboundary Harm And The Reduction Of Emissions, Tyler Hammond

Master of Laws Research Papers Repository

This paper evaluates Canada’s obligations under customary international law to abide by the duty to prevent transboundary harm. The question asked is whether Canada has obligations stemming from the duty of prevention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Under the duty, states are required to make a due diligent effort to reduce activities that cause harm in other states. This effort does not necessitate an actual cessation of a particular activity. Therefore, this paper argues that the duty of prevention can be applied in the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; hence, Canada is obligated to take the necessary steps to …

The Problems Facing The International Criminal Court: African Perspectives, Sarah Nimigan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Since the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it has faced serious problems and has been subject to criticism, particularly from African states. More specifically, some African states have argued that the operation of the Court has produced outcomes that are vastly different from what was imagined and hoped for at the time the Court was negotiated in 1998. The dissertation answers four interrelated research questions: (1) What kind of International Criminal Court (ICC) did African states want prior to and during the Rome Diplomatic Conference in 1998? (2) Why did African states ratify the Rome Statute more than …

Where Are We Now? Accessing The Current Ontario Family Justice System, Kaitlin A. Jagersky

Master of Laws Research Papers Repository

Is the current family justice system more accessible than ever before? This paper considers the significant changes that have been made to the Ontario family justice system in recent years, including those made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to determine if the “fundamental overhaul” and “bold innovation” called upon by the national Action Committee has occurred, bringing Ontario closer to a more accessible family justice system.

Several prominent legal scholars have identified access to family justice in Canada as a crisis and have made strongly worded recommendations on how the family justice system could be more accessible. As …

Bail In The Time Of Covid-19, Thomas A. Stinson

Master of Laws Research Papers Repository

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 resulted in changes to both the form and content of bail hearings and reviews within Ontario. While the statutory framework contained within sections 515, 520, 525 and 679 of the Criminal Code remained unchanged, practical changes were necessary in order to allow bail matters to occur virtually and safely. Initially, the existence of COVID-19 may have allowed for the release of some accused persons who would not have been let out on bail prior to the pandemic. By early 2021, bail courts appear to have settled into a pattern where the COVID-19 …

The Measure Of A Monitor's Role, Alejandro E. Gonzalez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines the monitor, a court-appointed officer under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, in order to determine whether and how to best secure its independence. Concerns over the role are increasingly over whether it can maintain its supposed impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest. This study centers on its fiduciary duty, long discussed in the courts, as both problematic because it is not conclusively defined, and as the best means of establishing the monitor as a fair and impartial guardian of public confidence in Canadian insolvency law. By examining leading insolvency law theories, international and Canadian insolvency policy, and …

Interpreting Undrip: Exploring The Relationship Between Fpic, Consultation, Consent, And Indigenous Legal Traditions, Jeffrey Warnock

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis addresses an interpretive question at the heart of the discourse surrounding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); the meaning of the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). It argues that interpreting and implementing UNDRIP and specifically the articles requiring FPIC needs to be done in a way that meaningfully engages with and incorporates the laws of Indigenous peoples (Indigenous Legal Traditions or ILTs). This thesis explores why it is essential to discuss UNDRIP through the lens of ILTs, explores the scholarship and major interpretive schools of thought regarding FPIC, and concludes …

A 'Critical Mass' Approach To Negotiations In The Wto: A Case Study Analysis, Temitope O. Adeyemi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The thesis examines the viability of the ‘critical mass’ approach to negotiations as a proper substitute for conventional negotiating formats in present and future World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations. The thesis provides an overview of the traditional negotiating formats in the WTO and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1947 (GATT 1947). A case study approach is adopted in the thesis to explain the concept of the critical mass-based negotiating modality in the WTO context. The primary case studies are the existing WTO Information Technology Agreement, the WTO Basic Telecommunication Agreement, the WTO Financial Services …

Neither Seen Nor Heard: Surviving Children Of Domestic Homicide, Alexis Winfield

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic homicide is a critical human rights issue that continues to impact women, children, and families in Canada. Between 2010-2018, 662 individuals died as a result of domestic homicide, many of whom were mothers who left surviving children behind. This study examined the experiences of surviving children prior to, during, and in the aftermath of domestic homicide through quantitative and qualitative court and media document analyses. It was found that 136 children in Ontario experienced domestic homicide between 2010-2017. Domestic homicide impacted surviving children in all domains of functioning and was often associated with long-term adverse outcomes. Court documents revealed …