Materials Available from Webinar on Being an Intervener in a Court Case

On October 11, 2019, the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations hosted a webinar on Being an Intervener in a Court Case.

The materials from that event are now available online (Powerpoint and recording).

CALL had intervener status in front of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Keatley Surveying Ltd. v. Teranet Inc. case on Crown copyright. The case was heard in March 2019.

Interveners offer the courts an independent specialist perspective on important issues raised in an appeal.

Manitoba Law Reform Commission Consultation on Abandoned Accounts and Missing Money: Establishing a Process for Unclaimed Intangible Personal Property

The Manitoba Law Reform Commission has published a consultation report entitled Abandoned Accounts and Missing Money: Establishing a Process for Unclaimed Intangible Personal Property.

It looks at what happens to unclaimed personal property in Manitoba, such as abandoned or forgotten credit balances, insurance policies, bonds or pension plans:

"In Manitoba there is no obligation on the part of many property holders, such as credit unions and insurance policy holders, to report unclaimed personal property to the provincial government. Even where unclaimed personal property is remitted to the government the legislation provides no guidance for an individual to find out if they are the rightful owner. Other Canadian jurisdictions have enacted legislation to address unclaimed property so that money can end up in the hands of rightful owners. In light of reforms in other Canadian jurisdictions, the Commission asks the question: Should Manitoba adopt a process for unclaimed intangible personal property? If so, what elements would the legislation need to address?"

"This project involves two distinct, yet related, issues: escheats and unclaimed property. While distinct legal concepts, in both cases the property vests in the Crown by operation of law. In Manitoba, both these situations are addressed in the same piece of legislation, The Escheats Act. The Commission has learned that the process for administering escheats and unclaimed property is cumbersome for the government and impractical for individuals seeking to claim vacant or unclaimed property. Other jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, have introduced changes to modernize and improve legislation related to property that vests in the Crown."

"This Consultation Report invites readers to provide their comments on ten issues for discussion. The issues identified in this report require input from interested organizations and individuals so that the Commission can craft recommendations that will be practical and meaningful to those affected by any contemplated changes to the legislation.
Chapter 2 provides background on the legal origins of escheats and vacant property and describes the current law and procedure in Manitoba. Chapter 3 explores recent legislative reforms in other jurisdictions. Chapter 4 discusses possible areas of reform to Manitoba’s legal framework for escheats and unclaimed property, touching on important considerations should the  government wish to introduce a regime for unclaimed property."

New UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Book on Prison Libraries

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has published the first UNESCO publication on prison libraries, highlighting their contribution to the personal development and education of incarcerated adults and young people:

"This publication explores the extent to which prison authorities fulfil their societal mandate to rehabilitate and reintegrate inmates by enabling them to use prison libraries to pursue their right to education."

"Reading and using a prison library can open up a world beyond prison bars, allowing prisoners to forget for a time the harsh reality of prison life and empower them to choose their own reading materials in an otherwise extremely restrictive and regulated environment. Providing access to relevant books and information in various languages, including easy reading materials, is crucial for prisoners’ personal development."

"This publication takes a closer look at selected examples of prison library systems around the world, outlining best practice and possible challenges, thus demonstrating their transformative potential as informational, educational, cultural and recreational meeting and learning spaces."

The open access e-book was launched at the most recent conference in August of the  International Federation of Library Associations in Athens.

One-Day Legal Research and Writing Workshop in Toronto

On December 6, 2019, Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law will jointly host a One-Day Legal Writing Institute Workshop entitled Research and Writing in the Experiential Learning Context.

The event takes place at Osgoode Hall and includes the following workshops:

• Supporting the Development of Rigorous Legal Writing Skills Using a Clinician’s Toolkit
• Problem-based Law Clinic Workshops 
• Minding the Gaps: Making Students Mindful of Weaknesses in their Legal Analysis and Writing 
• Experiential Learning and Legal Technology Proficiency
• Maximizing the Experiential Experience: How to Boost Research Skills Instruction for Long-Term Retention
• Teaching Contracts and Commercial Contracts as an Upper Level Legal Writing Experiential Course
• Two for the Price of One: Integrating Transactional Drafting into Traditional Legal Writing Assignments

Supreme Court of Canada Calendar of November 2019 Hearings

The Supreme Court of Canada has published its calendar of upcoming appeals that will be heard next month.

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.