Statistics Canada Report on Violence Involving Same-Sex Intimate Partners

Statistics Canada yesterday released a report on Police-reported violence involving same-sex intimate partners in Canada:

"There were 651,484 police-reported incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada from 2009 to 2017. Approximately 3% of these incidents involved same-sex intimate partners."

"Males accounted for a greater proportion of victims of same-sex IPV, with more than half (55%) of police-reported incidents of same-sex IPV involving male partners. In contrast, women were overrepresented as victims of police-reported opposite-sex IPV (82% of all opposite-sex IPV victims from 2009 to 2017) (...)"

"Research has shown that victims of same-sex IPV face unique barriers that may affect whether they report their victimization to police or seek help. Some of these barriers include fear of self-disclosure, uncertainties about other people's homophobic reactions, and prior experiences of discrimination or harassment. The analysis of violent incidents involving same-sex partners presented in this article broadens the scope of research on IPV and provides additional information to support the development of more inclusive prevention and response programs."

Library-Related Highlights from the 2019 Federal Budget

The website Librarianship.ca has published the highlights from yesterday's federal budget that may be "of interest to the Canadian library and information management community".

They include items relating to access to information, accessibility for Canadians with disabilities, the development of better data for decision-making, digital services and digital skills, higher education, infrastructure spending, high-speed Internet access, measures to support journalism, help for Northern communities, progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Canadians, scientific research, seniors, and training.

February 2019 Update from Canadian Federation of Library Associations

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations has provided an update of its activities since December 31, 2018.

It includes information about the federation's efforts in areas such as advocacy and lobbying, intellectual freedom, cataloguing standards, copyright, and indigenous affairs.

Upcoming CALL Conference Podcast Series

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is partnering with legal vendor vLex to organize a podcast series that will feature participants at its upcoming annual conference in late May in Edmonton.

According to an e-mail sent out earlier today by the CALL National Office:

"CALL members are invited to participate as co-hosts with vLex Canada CEO Colin Lachance in 10-minute interviews with conference speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and organizers, about their experience at the conference, what’s hot in their world, and their thoughts on the future. All conversations will be broadcast live on either Twitter or YouTube, recorded and edited for distribution as podcasts after the conference."

"No experience necessary!"

Conference attendees who want to be guests on the podcasts can submit their contact info.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on The Changing Business of Law

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on April 3, 2019 on The Changing Business of Law, and What It Means For Law Libraries. The speaker is John  Wu from Codify Legal Publishing:

"The legal profession is in a state of unrest. Competition is increasing. The advancement of the global marketplace, unceasing. The end of the billable hour seems all but imminent. These challenges lead to a bewildering situation, where more services are expected, even as budgets are cut. Libraries, perceived by some as a cost-center of the business, too often feel the brunt of this. But this shouldn’t be the case. In this webinar, John will discuss how the business of law is changing, in both Canada and across the globe, and the effects this could have on the legal ecosystem. Drawing from case studies and complexity science, along with his own in-field research, he’ll offer insight to help you not only face these challenges, but take proactive steps to leverage them and empower the law library."

The webinar takes place from 1 to 2:30PM Eastern.

Cost is $45.20 for CALL members ($28.25 for CALL student members), $67.80 for non-members.

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection from March 1-15, 2019 is now available on the Court website.

It is possible to subscribe via e-mail to receive the list.

Article on Why Supreme Court of Canada Doesn't Provide Reasons When It Doesn't Hear Cases

Yesterday, Legal Sourcery, the blog of the Law Society of Saskatchewan, published an article called Leave Applications at the Supreme Court of Canada: Should Reasons be Provided?

It looks at why the Supreme Court of Canada doesn't provide reasons when it dismisses applications for leave to appeal. It also asks whether the Court should reconsider the practice.

From the article's conclusion:

"The provision of reasons by the Supreme Court when dismissing applications for leave to appeal would be a welcome change to the historic practice. It has the potential to add transparency, legitimacy, and clarity to a process that has important implications. It would also allow applicants to assess their own chances of success with the added knowledge of the disposition of past applications for leave. That being said, the sheer number of applications for leave each year makes this change unlikely to occur. The hypothetical reasons would necessarily be short and superficial, which would make the use of them as precedent problematic."

"Currently, as far as applications for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court are concerned, individuals should avoid cynical thinking and believe that the Justices are exercising their discretion appropriately. Thorough reasons would be ideal, but a reversal of the current practice is unlikely."

Call for Nominations for Denis Marshall Memorial Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is seeking nominations for the Denis Marshall Memorial Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship.

Nominations close on April 1, 2019:

"This award is an honour bestowed upon a current member of CALL/ACBD who has provided outstanding service to the Association AND/OR enhanced the profession of law librarianship in the recent past. The specific contributions  must reflect the qualities embodied by Denis Marshall:

• a continued commitment to excellence in law librarianship;
• a strong service ethic;
• a commitment to continuous learning;
• a significant contribution to the scholarship of the library profession;
• mentoring and encouraging those who seek a profession in law librarianship;
• the pursuit of innovation and/or innovative solutions;
• and/or a contribution to leadership in the law library profession. "

The name of the nominated person must be accompanied by two signed letters from colleagues in support of the nominee, with names and signatures of three additional CALL members supporting the nomination.

The award has a value of $3,000 plus expenses up to $2,000 to attend the annual CALL conference.

Supreme Court of Canada Calendar of March 2019 Hearings

The Supreme Court of Canada has published its calendar of appeals that will be heard from March 19 to March 29, 2019.

To find out more about any particular case, click on the docket number in parentheses next to each case name to find docket information, case summaries as well as facta from the parties.

Most Recent Issue of LawNow: Protecting Privacy

The most recent issue of LawNow is available online.

The magazine is published by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.

The issue features a series of articles on the protection of privacy. There is also a special report on immigration law.

Canadian Librarians Included in Library Journal's Movers and Shakers 2019 List

The website Librarianship.ca has a list of the Canadian librarians who were selected to be part of Library Journal's 2019 list of Library Movers and Shakers.

The list, which includes 54 librarians this year, is an annual snapshot of the transformative work being done by those in libraries of all types and sizes and across the field.The full list can be found on the Library Journal website.

The publication provides a map of all the Movers and Shakers from 2002 to 2019. 

March 2019 Issue of In Session - E-Newsletter of Canadian Association of Law Libraries

The March 2019 issue of In Session is available online.

It is the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) and contains news from CALL committees and special interest groups, member updates and events.