Government has been changing the nature of the country for many years without any constitutional amendment being enacted
The federal and provincial governments of Canada have allowed the Constitution’s separation of powers outlined in Section 92 of the British North American (BNA) Act to be blurred – disfigured even. Section 92 (7) outlines exclusive jurisdiction over health to be provincial. But since the introduction of the Canada Health Act, the federal government –…
Former B.C. deputy minister of health Lawrie McFarlane’s July 24 commentary on the “Cambie Surgery Centre ruling” (a descriptive that ignores two cancer patients and three children who were co-plaintiffs) contained some valid commentary. The crisis we now face in our health system is there for all to see and observe. Notably, McFarlane offers no solutions.…
Gaps in regulations and enforcement leave companion animals, livestock vulnerable to abuse
When it comes to laws protecting pets and livestock, Canada receives a failing grade. In 2020, an international organization called World Animal Protection gave the country a D, placing it among a group that includes Tanzania, Peru and the United States. The reason for that dismal ranking comes down to the “split jurisdiction” of Canadian federalism, according…
Johnson got careless and arrogant after only three years in power, assuming he was above the law
When U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reflects on his political career, there will always be a certain fondness for the Dec. 12, 2019, general election. His Conservative government earned a majority of 80 seats, the party’s largest since 1987. The party also had a net gain of 48 seats and its highest percentage of the…
If people want to pay for an abortion, and live with the consequences, that’s their choice
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe versus Wade in a 5-4 decision. The controversial 1973 case that made abortion legal in all 50 states was no more. Pro-life supporters celebrated this announcement and declared it a landmark ruling. Pro-choice activists have protested this decision in many U.S. cities. Tensions remain high and…
Experts to examine systemic problems, make evidence-based recommendations
A research team led by a University of Alberta scholar has received nearly $2.5 million in new federal funding for a national research project aimed at reforming the Canadian justice system. The team, headed by sociologist Sandra Bucerius and including the United Way and academic experts on the court and prison systems from across Canada, was awarded a Partnership Grant from…
Assisting landmark Indigenous cases, Anita Cardinal-Stewart graduates with even stronger passion
The caption on her junior-high yearbook photo reads, “Dreams of being a lawyer or an actress.” That was when Anita Cardinal-Stewart was full of hope, and anything seemed possible. But that hope evaporated through her teen years growing up in the Woodland Cree First Nation in northern Alberta. “I started to see how hard it…
Gun control is one of many issues on which American elected officials are far out of sync with constituents
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is one of the most esteemed personalities in the National Basketball Association. After yet another school shooting in the United States, this time at an elementary school in Texas – following a mass shooting at a grocery store and another at a church – Kerr spoke up. His righteous…
Politicians have to stop creating impediments to access
By Nigel Rawson and John Adams Macdonald-Laurier Institute On April 14, 2022, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the federal government’s decision to cancel most of its plan for the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) to regulate significantly lower prices for new medicines in Canada – a mess created five years ago by then Health…
Studying the history of law in Iran might help point the way to improving legal systems in the West
You might be tempted to think Jairan Gahan’s interest in the legal history of sex in Iran is purely academic. She is most fascinated by the early 20th century, following Iran’s Constitutional Revolution of 1906, when the country was drafting its criminal code. How could that possibly be relevant to life in the modern state, especially…
The federal and provincial governments of Canada have allowed the Constitution’s separation of powers outlined in Section 92 of the British North American (BNA) Act to be blurred – disfigured even. Section 92 (7) outlines exclusive jurisdiction over health to be provincial. But since the introduction of the Canada Health Act, the federal government –…
