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The Philosophy And Design Of Contemporary Consumer Bankruptcy Systems: A Canada-United States Comparison, Jacob S. Ziegel Apr 1999

The Philosophy And Design Of Contemporary Consumer Bankruptcy Systems: A Canada-United States Comparison, Jacob S. Ziegel

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The rapid increase in the number of consumer bankruptcies in Canada and the United States over the past fifteen years has again focused attention on the philosophy and design of modern insolvency systems, and on the similarities and differences in the approaches adopted in Canada and the United States. In this article, the author points out that the single most important difference is that the United States has historically subscribed to the debtor's right to a "fresh start" after surrendering the debtor's non-exempt property, whereas Canadian law never has, and does not now, confer an absolute right of discharge. Although …


Options In Consumer Bankruptcy: An American Perspective, Jean Braucher Apr 1999

Options In Consumer Bankruptcy: An American Perspective, Jean Braucher

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In both the United States and Canada, a rapid increase in personal bankruptcies has led to demands for stricter laws to force more repayment by consumer debtors. Canada has already taken this step, while the United States may soon do so in response to the counterfactual claim that the problem is debtors with means using bankruptcy as "a method of financial planning." The author suggests that the real problem in both countries, however, is an increase in the ranks of the over-indebted. Bankruptcy is a symptom, signalling to creditors the need to reform themselves. The author concludes that if creditors …


The Changing Politics Of American Bankruptcy Reform, Elizabeth Warren Apr 1999

The Changing Politics Of American Bankruptcy Reform, Elizabeth Warren

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The political atmosphere in which changes to the American bankruptcy laws occur has shifted since the adoption of the 1978 amendments to the United States Bankruptcy Code. Bankruptcy professionals, who once effectively controlled much of the legislative debate, have lost ground to creditors, who have become much more powerful in influencing bankruptcy legislation. The result has been the politicization of the debate and the setting of the stage for a series of amendments that have rhetorical appeal, but that do not reflect the underlying factual reality of the bankruptcy system.


The Overseas Dimension: What Can Canada And The United States Learn From The United Kingdom, Michael Adler Apr 1999

The Overseas Dimension: What Can Canada And The United States Learn From The United Kingdom, Michael Adler

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The United States and, to a slightly lesser extent, Canada have come to regard personal bankruptcy as a routine method of discharging debts, enabling the debtor to make a fresh start. By contrast, in the United Kingdom, bankruptcy is still seen as a remedy of last resort, and creditors may retain the right to enforce debts. The difference in approach is due to the fact that the United States and Canada have traditionally given priority to risk taking over security, while the United Kingdom has continued to give priority to security over risk taking. However, the British government's enthusiasm for …


Secured Creditors And Consumer Bankruptcy In The United States, William C. Whitford Apr 1999

Secured Creditors And Consumer Bankruptcy In The United States, William C. Whitford

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article first summarizes the many restrictions that the American consumer bankruptcy system imposes on the enforcement of the contractual rights of secured creditors. The restrictions include the ability, in Chapter 13 proceedings particularly, of the debtor to "strip the lien" of the undersecured creditor, releasing the collateral from the lien upon payment, over time, of only the value of the collateral when it is less than the full amount owing. The article then summarizes many changes in the rights of secured creditors currently being proposed and debated in Congress. The author concludes with his own proposals that would enhance …


Antidiscrimination And Affirmative Action Policies: Economic Efficiency And The Constitution, Edward M. Iacobucci Apr 1998

Antidiscrimination And Affirmative Action Policies: Economic Efficiency And The Constitution, Edward M. Iacobucci

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article assesses the economic efficiency of race-based antidiscrimination and affirmative action policies with a view to assessing relevant Canadian and American constitutional law. The article reviews economic arguments about why antidiscrimination laws may be efficient in addressing externalities, in hastening the exit of bigoted employers from the market, and in preventing the potentially inefficient use of race as a proxy for information; affirmative action may be efficient in accounting for differential signaling costs across race. The article concludes that economic analysis supports the approach in section 15 of the Charter which generally bans discriminatory government action, but recognizes that …


Welfare Reform In The United States, Joel F. Handler Apr 1997

Welfare Reform In The United States, Joel F. Handler

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Advanced countries that are experiencing high unemployment are reconsidering their generous welfare states in light of the American experience. This article sets forth a summary of the principles of the U.S. welfare reform -particularly enforcing work requirements by time-limited welfare-as well as the assumptions, including, principally, that welfare destroys work incentives and that jobs are available for those who want to work. In fact, most welfare recipients have extensive connections to the labour market, but cannot survive on either jobs or welfare. If the reforms are carried out as intended, severe hardship will result. The predicted outcome is that most …


Strict Products Liability Revisited, Denis W. Boivin Jul 1995

Strict Products Liability Revisited, Denis W. Boivin

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article examines the relationship between two concepts found throughout the law of products liability, defect and negligence. Traditional tort doctrine contends that, although they are sometimes used interchangeably, both concepts refer to quite distinct matters: the state of a product, on the one hand, and the nature of a manufacturer's conduct in supplying its products, on the other. The hallmark distinction between a standard of fault and one of strict liability, it is said, is that only the former requires proof of unreasonable care, whereas both require proof of a defect. Relying on developments in the United States and …


Military Justice: From Oxymoron To Aspiration, Janet Walker Jan 1994

Military Justice: From Oxymoron To Aspiration, Janet Walker

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The mandate for Charter-based judicial review of military law is now in its second decade. Comparative analysis of the relationship between military law and the civilian judiciary in common law countries reveals that Canadian courts benefitting from this mandate are so placed within the constitutional structure as to be uniquely able to engage in substantive review of the adherence to the principles of fundamental justice by Canadian courts martial. Accordingly, the question of the jurisdiction of military tribunals which has formed the focal point internationally for judicial review is of passing significance in Canada. The yet critical issues of civilian …


"Artificial Conscience": Professional Elites And Professional Discipline From 1920 To 1950, James A. Smith Jan 1994

"Artificial Conscience": Professional Elites And Professional Discipline From 1920 To 1950, James A. Smith

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Recent historical studies of the British and American Bars have identified their professional elites' willingness to define and enforce a concept of legal ethics which restricted less fortunate members' ability to practice and less fortunate individuals' ability to obtain legal assistance. This essay applies the thesis to the Canadian Bar's and especially the Law Society of Upper Canada's use of their increasing control over professional discipline from 1920 to 1950. Identifying similar trends in the Canadian profession's evolution, while emphasizing effects rather than intentions, it makes similar conclusions about the Canadian professional elite's use of such powers during this period.


Spacing Out: Towards A Critical Geography Of Law, Nicholas K. Blomley, Joel C. Bakan Jul 1992

Spacing Out: Towards A Critical Geography Of Law, Nicholas K. Blomley, Joel C. Bakan

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The authors analyze the interconnections between space, law, and power and forge links between critical studies in law and geography. Analytical categories of space-for example, the divide between public and private space, or the concept of national citizenship-are all politically constructed. The authors analyze Canadian and American concepts of federalism and their impact on regulating worker safety. A common judicial mapping of work, local space, and state regulation determines whether local officials have enforcement authority in contexts where national worker safety regulations apply. Through this analysis, the authors illustrate the potential for future studies in critical legal geography.


Administrative And Criminal Penalties In The Enforcement Of Occupational Health And Safety Legislation, R. M. Brown Jul 1992

Administrative And Criminal Penalties In The Enforcement Of Occupational Health And Safety Legislation, R. M. Brown

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The sanction for occupational health and safety offences in Ontario is a regulatory prosecution in provincial criminal court. In contrast, regulatory officials assess administrative penalties in British Columbia and the United States. A larger proportion of offenders are punished under these administrative processes than in the Ontario criminal justice system, and the average administrative penalty generally is higher than the average criminal fine. In addition, a system of administrative penalties is better able to identify employers who warrant punishment because regulators apply the civil standard of proof, attach great weight to a firm's compliance history, and do not reserve penalties …


Cross Cultural Reflections: Teaching The Charter To Americans, Jamie Cameron Jul 1990

Cross Cultural Reflections: Teaching The Charter To Americans, Jamie Cameron

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In this article, the author discusses a course in Comparative Constitutional Jurisprudence that she taught at Cornell Law School in the winter semester of 1989. She is particularly interested in the way this class of American students responded to the Supreme Court of Canada's interpretation of the Charter. She presents her reflections on differences between Canadian and American constitutional culture through a discussion of the decisions in The Motor Vehicle Reference, R. v. Morgentaler, and The French Language Case.