Saturday, February 29, 2020

Statistics Canada Report on Hate Crimes

The article Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2018 is now available in the Statistics Canada publication Juristat.

In 2018, there were 1,798 police-reported hate crimes in Canada, down 13% from the record-high of 2,073 incidents reported in 2017. Despite the decline, the number of hate incidents reported in 2018 was the second highest since 2009.

A hate crime incident may be carried out against a person or property and may target race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, sex, age, mental or physical disability, or any other similar factor. Additionally, there are four specific offences listed as hate propaganda or hate crimes in the Criminal Code of Canada: advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred, willful promotion of hatred, and mischief motivated by hate in relation to property used by an identifiable group.

Among the highlights of the report:

  • The decrease in the total number of incidents was largely attributable to a decrease in police-reported hate crimes motivated by hatred of a religion (-203 incidents).
  • Compared with 2017, the number of police-reported hate crimes motivated by religion declined by 24% in 2018, from 842 to 639. This decrease was largely due to fewer police-reported crimes motivated by hate against the Muslim population, which declined from 349 incidents to 173 incidents in 2018 (-50%). Hate crimes against the Jewish population declined slightly in 2018 after two years of increases, from 360 to 347 incidents (-4%).
  • Between 2017 and 2018, the number of police-reported crimes motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity decreased 11%, from 878 to 780. Much of this decrease was a result of fewer hate crimes targeting the Black (-38 incidents) and Arab and West Asian populations (-31 incidents). Hate crimes targeting the Black population remained one of the most common types of hate crimes (16% of all hate crimes). Police-reported violent hate crimes against Indigenous and Muslim populations more likely than other hate crimes to involve female victims. Police-reported hate crimes targeting sexual orientation declined 15% in 2018 to 173 incidents, compared with 204 incidents in 2017. 
  • Based on data from police services that reported characteristics of hate crimes, a 21% decrease in non-violent hate crimes accounted for much of the national decrease. Non-violent hate crimes accounted for 57% of all hate crimes in 2018. The number of non-violent hate crimes fell from 1,239 to 978 incidents, primarily driven by a decrease in general mischief (-26%). Violent hate crime decreased 2% in 2018 compared to 2017, however total assault increased 6% year-over-year.
  • In 2018, a total of 31% of hate crime incidents were cleared, meaning solved. Of those incidents that were cleared, 68% resulted in charges laid against one or more individuals, and 32% were cleared otherwise, meaning an accused was identified but a charge was not laid. In comparison, among all Criminal Code violations (excluding traffic violations), 40% were solved by police, with 65% cleared by charges laid and 35% cleared otherwise.
  • Police-reported hate crime targeting sexual orientation (64%), the South Asian (64%), the Arab and West Asian (63%), and the East and Southeast Asian (56%) populations was more likely to be violent than non-violent, according to data reported from 2010 to 2018. In contrast, police-reported crimes against the Catholic (92%), Jewish (84%), Black (60%) and Muslim (60%) populations were more likely to be non-violent violations, primarily mischief.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 3:57 pm 0 comments

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection from February 16-29, 2020 is now available on the Court website.

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

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 3:50 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Five Questions with Iain Sinclair, Knowledge Manager, Stewart McKelvey

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) has been running a series of member profiles called Five Questions With... 

The most recent interview is with Iain Sinclair, Knowledge Manager with the law firm Stewart McKelvey in Saint John, New Brunswick:
"How has being involved in CALL helped you professionally (e.g. scholarships & grants, continuing education, networking)?
As a solo librarian and the only private law firm librarian in New Brunswick, I was very fortunate to have Cyndi Murphy as a colleague and mentor from our Halifax office. She had ensured that the firm’s job description for my position included funding for membership in CALL and attendance at the annual CALL conferences. My first CALL conference was the site of the 2020 conference - Hamilton - and I met people there who I am still in touch with today, both on a professional and personal level. CALL has been vital in allowing me to develop a contact network of fellow legal information professionals. This network has allowed me to achieve a performance standard at my work that would not otherwise have been possible. In addition to the personal contacts I have made through CALL, attendance and participation at the annual conference has greatly contributed to my professional development. Volunteering for a variety of positions with CALL over the years, including various special interest groups, committees, and the CALL executive, has also contributed enormously to my understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of our profession."

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:30 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Geek in Review Podcast - Episode on Plain Language

The most recent episode of the Geek in Review Podcast by US law librarian Greg Lambert (and others) is available.

Lambert is a former president of the American Association of Law Libraries.

The podcast features guests who are prominent in the field of plain language in legal writing:

  • Neil Guthrie – Director, Professional Development, Research, and Knowledge Management, at Aird & Berlis LLP in Toronto and author of Guthrie’s Guide to Better Legal Writing.
  • Chris Trudeau – Law and Medical Professor at the University of Arkansas/ Little Rock and author of The Public Speaks: An Empirical Study of Legal Communication
  • Jesse Katz – Litigation Editor at O’Melveny and Myers, as well as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist before taking on his editing role.
  • Sara Harris – editor for the American Lawyer’s Young Lawyer Editorial Board.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:55 pm 0 comments

Monday, February 24, 2020

Copyright Fair Dealing Week

The library world is celebrating Fair Dealing Week in Canada from February 24 to 28, with a host of activities across the country.

As the Fair Dealing Canada website explains:
"The Canadian Copyright Act allows the use of material from a copyright protected work (literature, musical scores, audiovisual works, etc.) without permission when certain conditions are met. People can use fair dealing for research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review, and news reporting. In order to ensure your copying is fair, you need to consider several factors such as the amount you are copying, whether you are distributing the copy to others, and whether your copying might have a detrimental effect on potential sales of the original work (...)"

"Fair dealing has a large, positive impact, including for:
  • Educators and students at all levels,
  • Creative professionals (journalists, authors, filmmakers, musicians, etc.),
  • Individuals who want to use, copy or share portions of copyright protected works in their daily lives."

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:29 pm 0 comments

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Law Library of Congress Interview With Natella Boltyanskaya, Scholar in Residence

In Custodia Legis, the blog of the Law Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., has posted an interview with Russian-born legal scholar in residence Natella Boltyanskaya, It is part of an ongoing series of interviews:
"How would you describe your research project to other people?
My current research explores the means and extent of the support that was provided by American legislators to the Soviet human rights movement. The discovery of original documents led me to a better understanding of the full story, starting from the first acts of solidarity by American people shortly after World War II, and ending with national legislation restricting economic cooperation with the USSR due to their poor human rights record. In other words, it is a story of sanctions which is quite relevant for the modern world."

"It was extremely important for my research to find documents demonstrating how on numerous occasions American legislators acted to advance the human rights agenda and keep Soviet leaders accountable for not meeting their international obligations. The most famous example is the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, and I was able to explore the history of its adoption here at the Law Library. Naturally, not every legislative initiative was successful; however, all of them, even those which did not go through had a great impact, both in the USSR and internationally."

"The analysis of those initiatives might prompt solutions to the human rights problems of today. While researching political and economic sanctions imposed by the United States on the Soviet Union in order to force it to respect the rights of its own citizens, I was able to locate materials on how the Congress addressed other recognized methods of dealing with human rights breaches in foreign nations, such as sending troops, bringing in refugees, and supporting local activists and protesters externally. These materials will make my research comprehensive and perhaps suggest some new approaches that would respond to present-day social and political challenges." 
"Why did you want to conduct research at the Law Library?
There were several reasons – both practical and romantic. American libraries are a treat for any researcher – many databases are available; everything is comfortable, and the workplace is well-equipped. I have worked in many of them. The Library of Congress is truly a top tier library. The Law Library of Congress is a very special place, where you can work with the documents showing American lawmaking processes in full detail. It is an ideal place for my research."
The Law Library of Congress is the world’s largest law library, with a collection of almost 3 million volumes from all ages of history and virtually every jurisdiction in the world.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 9:14 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Newest Issue of Canadian Law Library Review

The most recent issue of the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR) is available online.

The CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL). It is an open access publication.

It is available on the ISSUU platform and in PDF format on the CALL website.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 7:12 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Library of Parliament Research Publications

The Library of Parliament in Ottawa regularly publishes research publications on a range of topics.

I find they are often a good starting point for background information, as the Library explains:
"The Library of Parliament offers its parliamentary clients a range of research publications on current and emerging issues, on legislation and on major policy topics. These research publications provide timely and authoritative information and analysis on issues of relevance to the work of parliamentary committees and associations, and to parliamentarians in their constituencies."
For example, I was recently looking at their October 2019 document on the distribution of legislative powers under the Canadian Constitution.

It is possible to get news about new publications via an RSS feed or on Twitter.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:50 pm 0 comments

Monday, February 17, 2020

Self-Represented Litigants Research Project on Vexatious Litigants

A report by the Self-Represented Litigants Research Project (SRLRP) recently came to my attention.

It is about how the description of some litigants as vexatious has often been applied to self-represented litigants in Canada.

Based on an analysis of matters in its caselaw database, the SRLRP reports that:
"we are already seeing a number of trends in the case law that we believe are important to highlight. These include an overlap between cases in the database which have been been flagged as raising 'procedural fairness' issues (where an SRL has made mistakes which appear to be a direct consequence of their lack of knowledge and familiarity with the process, despite best efforts) and those in which they are formally designated as a vexatious litigant. As well, the relationship between CLD cases involving disabilities, substantial or punitive costs, and vexatiousness raise concerns about conflation between intentional process 'abuse' and genuine confusion and mistakes, which we have drawn attention to before ... This report provides more evidence pointing to this problem."
The NSRLP, which flows out of the work conducted by Dr. Julie Macfarlane, Faculty of Law of the University of Windsor, describes itself as a clearinghouse for resources, research data, new initiatives, training materials and other information that affects and reflects the SRL phenomenon.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:05 pm 0 comments

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Updated GlobaLex Research Guide on the United Kingdom

GlobaLex, a very good electronic collection created by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law, has updated its research guide on the legal system of the United Kingdom.


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posted by Michel-Adrien at 1:51 pm 0 comments

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection from February 1-15, 2020 is now available on the Court website.

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

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 1:42 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Branch Publishes Inclusive Workplace Toolkit

The Alberta Branch of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) has published an Inclusive Workplace Toolkit:
"This toolkit is designed to support lawyers in every practice setting in cultivating an inclusive workplace culture. We have included a variety of resources to take some of the legwork out of addressing specific issues that you may be facing in your practice now, or choosing to proactively address. The CBA does not endorse any of these resources – we solicited recommendations, reviewed offerings, and included resources that respond to areas of need identified in our survey of the profession."

"The Policies, Procedures, and Exit Interview template included present a model option from a relevant authority. These were prepared with a variety of practice settings in mind, but may require some adaptation..."
Table of contents:
  • Experts in Building an Inclusive Workplace Culture
  • Model Policy
  • Supports from Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society
  • Sample Investigation Protocol
  • Meaningful Exit and Stay Interviews

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:35 pm 0 comments

Monday, February 10, 2020

2020 Canadian Association of Law Libraries Conference Program Now Available

The program for the 2020 annual conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is now available.

The conference is taking place May 24th – May 27th, 2020 at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Registration details can be found on the CALL website.


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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:26 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, February 05, 2020

Federal Bill on Sexual Assault Training for Judges

The Canadian government has introduced Bill C-5 that would require federally-appointed judges to undergo sensitivity training to learn about myths and stereotypes in sexual assault cases.

If passed, the legislation would also require the Canadian Judicial Council, which has authority over the work of federally-appointed judges and is chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, to set up and report on the training program.

It would also amend the Criminal Code to make sure judges provide written reasons when they rule on sexual assault cases.

It is possible to follow the progress of the bill on the LEGISinfo website.

Justice Canada has provided some background on the issue.

An earlier proposal from the last session of Parliament, known as Bill C-337, died in the Senate before the 2019 federal elections.

News coverage:

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:11 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, February 04, 2020

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Twitter Chat February 19

The Executive Board of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is organizing a Twitter chat on February 19, 2020 at 1P.M. EST with the hashtag #CALLACBDCHAT.

As a blog post on the CALL website from CALL President Shaunna Mireau explains:
"For those who haven’t participated in a Twitter Chat, the process is straightforward. The @CALLACBD account will pose some questions that will have the #CALLACBDCHAT hashtag and a question number, i.e. Q1. Anyone can chime in with answers using a corresponding answer number; A1 and include #CALLACBDCHAT and any other hashtags you wish. We expect that the questions will be asked over one hour but the conversation may continue past that time. I will be chiming in from my account @smireau."

"The goal of this Twitter Chat is to engage this community in thinking about legal information specialists and how to increase awareness and relevance of CALL/ACBD. We want more people in our conversation about legal information so that we have engaging discussions, valuable knowledge sharing and fresh and interesting ideas to bring to our organizations. The CALL/ACBD Executive Board is exploring the big existential questions – who are we and why are we here?"

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 5:59 pm 0 comments

Monday, February 03, 2020

February 2020 Issue of In Session - E-Newsletter of Canadian Association of Law Libraries

The February 2020  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.

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 6:17 pm 0 comments

Sunday, February 02, 2020

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection from January 16-31, 2020 is now available on the Court website.

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

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 3:35 pm 0 comments

Supreme Court of Canada Calendar of February 2020 Hearings

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

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posted by Michel-Adrien at 3:34 pm 0 comments