Just a few days ago, the French court of appeal directed Dr. Hassan Diab, (not to be confused with Lebanon’s prime minister of the same name) — a sociology professor in Ottawa who’s been a Canadian citizen since 1993 — to be committed to trial yet again. I’m outraged, and here’s why. Dr. Diab is…
Category: law
Our legal system needs many more RBGs and Beverley McLachlins
On Friday, September 18, my attendant, Cory Wilson, gave me the bad news — he’d just received a text from his wife that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away. RBG was an icon in the American legal community, and far, far more. Before being appointed to the US Supreme Court by then-president Bill Clinton, she’d…
Real solutions exist to homeless encampments: Look to the ’70s, and Portland’s Right to Dream Too
Nobody won at Tuesday night’s Vancouver Park Board meeting addressing the city’s latest and biggest homeless encampment in Strathcona Park. After two onerous nights of debate — in which nearly 100 speakers outlined their sympathy for the homeless park dwellers; for the board itself, having to deal with such a thorny issue; and for Strathcona…
No justice; no peace; no racist police
From Beverly Hills to Brooklyn, America is burning. The gruesome police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has understandably reignited the fear, anger and concern about centuries of systemic racism — not just in the U.S. but also here at home in Canada, where racism has been embedded in society all the way back to…
Tighter gun controls: The best tribute to Nova Scotia’s victims
The recent tragedy in Nova Scotia has once again placed the need for tighter gun controls in Canada front and centre. So I’m very pleased to see our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicate on a number of occasions over the past few days that the federal Liberals are very close to bringing in legislation that…
ICBC changes are no laughing matter
On April 1, it was no joke when the provincial NDP’s attorney general, David Eby, introduced sweeping new rules limiting compensation for victims of motor vehicle accidents in BC. But before I get into the details, two important points. First, full disclosure: I’ve been practising law since 1984, representing the victims of motor vehicle accidents….
2018: A year of ups and downs for social justice
This is my last blog of 2018, so now is a good time to reflect on some of the highlights centering on social justice that were significant to me this year. To start, I was so heartened to witness the comeback of COPE, a party very important to me and one I’ve been heavily involved…