Manitoba Law Reform Commission Final Report on Wills Act

Last week, the Manitoba Law Reform Commission released its Final Report titled Reform of The Wills Act, The Law of Property Act, And The Beneficiary Designation Act, Revisited:

"In this report, the Commission revisits the recommendations for reform of The Wills Act and related legislation first considered in its 2003 report, Wills and Succession Legislation ... Recommendations for substantial reform reiterated in this report include reducing the age by which a person can make a valid will from 18 to 16 years and introducing into the legislation a definition of an electronic will."

"Other recommendations contained in Report 108 have been reversed either due to advancements in the case law in a given area, recent trends in legislative reform in other jurisdictions or based on feedback received during the consultations. For example, given the enhanced focus on predatory marriages and resulting reforms in other jurisdictions, the Commission is now recommending the abolishment of the automatic revocation of a will by a subsequent marriage."

"Finally, this report contains a number of new recommendations not contained in Report 108, including amending the Court of Queen’s Bench Rules to enable the court to make, alter, or revoke a will for a person lacking testamentary mental capacity."

"The Recommendations contained in this report seek to improve and modernize the legislation and to help Manitobans carry out their testamentary intentions."

The recommendations cover a range of issues, including mental capacity, minors, electronic wills, revocation, undue influence and more.

The report also makes extensive reference to the situation in other Canadian provinces, as well as in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Website Tracking How Courts Are Reacting to COVID-19

The UK government-backed initiative Remote Courts Worldwide aims to help members of the legal world share best practices on the use of technologies to keep courts operating during the COVID-19 pandemic:

"As the coronavirus pandemic spreads and courts around the world are closing, this website is designed to help the global community of justice workers - judges, lawyers, court officials, litigants, court technologists - to share their experiences of 'remote' alternatives to traditional court hearings."

"To ensure ongoing access to justice, governments and judiciaries are rapidly introducing various forms of 'remote court' - audio hearings (largely by telephone), video hearings (for example, by Skype and Zoom), and paper hearings (decisions delivered on the basis of paper submissions). At remarkable speed, new methods and techniques are being developed. However, there is a danger that the wheel is being reinvented and that there is unnecessary duplication of effort across the world. In response, this site offers a systematic way of remote-court innovators and people who work in the justice system to exchange news of operational systems, as well as of plans, ideas, policies, protocols, techniques, and safeguards. By using this site, justice workers can learn from one another's successes and disappointments."

"The service is a joint effort - hosted by the Society for Computers and Law, funded by the UK LawTech Delivery Panel, and supported by Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service. It also builds on the community that was established at the First International Forum on Online Courts, held in London in December 2018, when 300 people from 26 countries came together to talk about using technology to transform the work of courts."

So far, the website has contributions from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the US, Singapore, India and Peru.

COVID-19 and the Courts: March 30 Update

Here is Canadian Lawyer magazine's daily update of the actions that courthouses across Canada have been taking to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Project Profile - Editing the Canadian Law Library Review

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) has been occasionally publishing "project profiles" on its website.

The profiles are intended to showcase interesting or innovative work conducted by CALL members.

This most recent profile is about Editing the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). It features the CLLR editor Nikki Tanner discussing her work:

"Do you have tips for library professionals considering getting involved in editorial work? Why might someone want to be involved?
I suggest learning more about writing, grammar, and punctuation. You’ll learn by doing, but it helps to know these things beforehand. Also, read articles, essays, professional blog posts, etc., to get a feel for how to organize content and strengthen arguments. And please, memorize your McGill Guide!"

"Being involved with CLLR keeps you on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the law library world in Canada and beyond. I know that I’ve personally learned a lot over the years from the great content provided by our amazing editorial team, without whom I’d be lost. Depending on what you’re in charge of, you’ll learn about new research (features editor), new books (book review editors), what colleagues are doing in different parts of the country (local and regional updates editor), the latest research being published elsewhere (bibliographic notes editor), and new research products and tools (advertising manager). You’ll also form relationships with legal information specialists and librarians from all over the country. And it looks great on your CV!"

New Law Librarians’ Institute 2020 Cancelled

In an e-mail this afternoon to members of the Canadian Association of Law LIbraries (CALL), CALL president Shaunna Mireau announced the decision to cancel the New Law Librarians’ Institute (NLLI) 2020 event that was set to take place place at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton from June 16–19, 2020.

This is:

"to ensure we do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19, and to accommodate those who are facing current and anticipated travel restrictions prohibiting their attendance. We want to ensure we are able to continue our tradition of connecting, sharing and learning together, but at a time that is safe to do so. We have made this decision factoring in the on-going uncertainty around COVID-19 and its potential impacts on the health and safety of the participants, speakers, and the local host community."

NLLI is an intensive four-day program aimed at developing librarians’ skills in the key competencies of law librarianship.

Supreme Court of Canada March, April, May Hearings Adjourned Until June 2020

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court of Canada has announced that hearings scheduled for March, April and May have been adjourned until June 2020, tentatively.

Physical access to the court building is restricted and all court filings must be made via e-mail.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Disaster Management & Contingency Planning

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) will host a webinar on April 8, 2020 on Disaster Management & Contingency Planning:

"By now, we're all fairly proficient, if somewhat improvisational, disaster managers. But how do the experts really manage disasters? What are the pitfalls that could trap a new disaster manager? What are the principles that lead to a long-term sustainable response, or that we'll need for multiple disasters at the same time? This presentation and discussion will explain the framework behind disaster management and contingency planning in simple terms, from a Canadian context, to help you prepare for, and lead your teams through, crises."

The speaker will be Adam Conway, Team Lead of Emergency Management at the University of Albert.

Webinar Costs:

• CALL Member: $40 + HST
• CALL Student Member: $25 + HST
• Non-member: $60 + HST

COVID-19 - More Resources from Vendors

This is a follow-up yesterday's post entitled COVID 19 - Free Resources from Vendors.

Here are 2 more links relating to free and/or enhanced access to library research resources from publishers:

• Publisher Access Changes, COVID-19 (Bryant University, Rhode Island)
• Coronavirus – Accès à des ressources documentaires additionnelles (Université de Montréal)

Library of Parliament Text on Federal Authorities During Public Health Emergencies

The Library of Parliament has published a summary of Federal Authorities During Public Health Emergencies:

"This Library of Parliament publication is intended to provide parliamentarians with reliable, non-partisan and timely information in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every effort has been made to ensure that its content is accurate at the time of posting, and necessary updates will be made as this situation continues to evolve within Canada and internationally."

COVID 19 - Free Resources from Vendors

In reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, many library vendors and publishers are opening up their collections and making at least some of them free.

Here are a few lists:

• COVID-19: Special Offers, Events, News, and Updates From Library Vendors, Publishers, Online Services, and Others (infoDOCKET, March 17, 2020)
• Free COVID-19 Resources from LexisNexis Canada (Off the Shelf, Osgoode Hall Law School Library Blog, March 20, 2020)
• Contenu gratuit chez plusieurs fournisseurs (blog of Kathleen Wynd, electronic resources librarian at UQAM, Université du Québec à Montréal, March 19, 2020) - her blog post links to a fairly long list of providers opening up their collections

COVID-19 Justice System Updates

Here are some recent updates about how the Canadian court system is reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Canadian Bar Association
• Canadian Lawyer Magazine

Legal Updates About COVID-19 Pandemic from Law Firm McCarthy Tetrault

Canadian law firm McCarthy Tetrault has been producing updates about the legal implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The material covers insurance losses, tax measures, the impact on contractual obligations, federal and provincial emergency powers, cyber issues, cancellations in the court system, and more.

Status of Upcoming Library Conferences and Events

The website Librarianship.ca has compiled a list detailing the impact of COVID-19 on upcoming library conferences.

It shows which events have been postponed, which have been cancelled and which are still awaiting a decision.

Articles on COVID

Recent articles and podcasts:

• A Tour Through Pandemic Law for COVID-19, Omar Ha-Redeye, Slaw.ca (March 15, 2020): "Canada has come a long way since the SARS pandemic in 2003. With the outbreak of COVID-19, here is a non-exhaustive overview of some of the ways that pandemics have come up in our legal system."
• The LawBytes Podcast, Episode 43: Heather Joseph on the Coronavirus and the Urgent Need for Open Access to Research Publications: "Given the head-spinning changes taking place in our society, there is a widely recognized need for immediate open access to the latest research and medical developments. Yet despite the fact that the public often funds research in the area, the conventional publishing model often places that information behind paywalls or subscription fees."
• COVID-19: Special Offers, News, and Updates From Library Vendors, Publishers, Online Services, and Others (infoDocket, March 17, 2020)
• LitCovid: A New Hub for 2019 Novel Coronavirus Scientific Literature From the the National Library of Medicine (infoDocket, March 14, 2020)

Annual Conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries Postponed Due to COVID-19

According to Shaunna Mireau, president of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL),  the upcoming annual conference of the association that was to take place in Hamilton on May 24-27, 2020 has been postponed due to the evolving situation related to the coronavirus pandemic:

"After very careful consideration, we have decided to postpone our annual conference to a later date in the year to ensure we do our part to limit the spread of this virus, and to accommodate those who are facing current and anticipated travel restrictions prohibiting their attendance. We want to ensure we are able to continue our tradition of connecting, sharing and learning together, but at a time that is safe to do so. We have made this decision factoring in the on-going uncertainty around COVID-19 and its potential impacts on the health and safety of the participants, exhibitors, speakers, and the local host community."

"We would like to offer our sincerest gratitude for your commitment in participating in the 2020 CALL/ACBD Conference. If you have already registered, your registration will be automatically transferred to our conference in the Fall. The new date will be announced shortly. If you are unable to attend the new conference date, please reach out to CALL’s National Office for information on obtaining a refund."

COVID-19 Statement: Annual Conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries to Go On As Planned

Shaunna Mireau, president of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL), has written a statement about the association's upcoming annual conference in Hamilton, ON on May 24-27, 2020.

The event is scheduled to take place as planned.

As Mireau explains:

"There are currently no federal or provincial restrictions in place to prevent meetings and travel in Canada due to COVID-19 and there are no confirmed cases in Hamilton. The city of Hamilton publicly states that the risk of getting COVID-19 in Hamilton is low. The Public Health Agency of Canada has also assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for Canada. Nevertheless, CALL/ABCD is working closely with all our event partners to create an environment conducive for the connecting, sharing and learning that is the spirit of our Conference and we look forward to welcoming you in Hamilton."

"Should there be any need to update you further we will do so again directly."

Coronavirus Resources for Libraries

There are a number of credible resources on the current coronavirus outbreak.

The website Librarianship.ca has compiled a list of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Resources for Libraries.

It has links to:

• government websites (public health authorities)
• the World Health Organization
• links for libraries
• updates about upcoming library conferences
• access to free full-text articles from medical and scientific publishers

The US-based campaign to support public libraries known as Libraries 2020 has prepared a page on Libraries and Accurate Information about The Coronavirus: "Not only are libraries a trusted source of vetting information, there is a long history of libraries as a destination for answers to health questions."

Shaunna Mireau, president of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, earlier today posted an article on Slaw.ca on Legal Preparedness for COVID-19 that refers to the legal lessons learned from the 2003 SARS crisis.

Supreme Court of Canada Calendar of March 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.

Statistics Canada Article on Efficiency of Criminal Courts

Last week, Juristat, a publication produced by Statistics Canada, published an article entitled Measuring efficiency in the Canadian adult criminal court system: Criminal court workload and case processing indicators.

The article examines the number of initiated and completed cases, the inventory and age of open cases, completion rates, case processing times, court workload, and backlog.

It also looks at the impact of the July 2016 Supreme Court' of Canadas R. v Jordan decision that laid down new time limits for completing cases in criminal court.

According to the article, since Jordan, case completion rates have risen and the court backlog was reduced.

Library of Parliament Background Paper: How Do Digital Multinationals Legally Avoid Tax in Canada?

The Library of Parliament recently published a background paper on how large digital companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon avoid corporate tax:

"In October 2019, noting that a growing number of countries no longer want to wait for an international agreement to be reached and are taking unilateral measures to tax certain multinationals, including those in the digital economy, the Secretary-General of the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] proposed a unified approach to taxing multinationals. He hoped to restart negotiations between countries so that an international agreement could be reached by the end of 2020."

"In Canada, the federal government will have to decide whether to quickly implement its own tax on multinational digital companies, often referred to as 'GAFAs' in reference to Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, or whether to wait for the conclusion of an international agreement, which is anticipated in 2020, but is likely to be later, based on previous delays involving multilateral negotiations."

The paper looks at current Canadian corporate tax law and the development of an international tax treaty. It also examines the policies of the European Commission, France and United Kingdom.

2020 Law via the Internet Conference Call for Papers

The organizers of the 2020 Law via the Internet conference have posted a call for submissions.

The event takes place in London, UK, September 15-16, 2020.

The conference brings together people from the Legal Information Institutes (LIIs) from different countries and continents that together form the Free Access to Law Movement.

The submission deadline for abstracts is 24 April 2020. Organizers are looking for papers on the following topics:

• Enhancing Public Access to Legal Information
• Digital Reform of Courts
• AI and Legal Information
• Ethics and Legal Information
• Data Protection
• Enriching Data
• Visual Law
• Data Standards
• Management of Services for free access to law

The goal of the LIIs is to maximize free access to public legal information such as legislation and case law from as many countries and international institutions as possible.

CanLII, the Canadian Legal Information Institute, and Lexum, which publishes the decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada online, are prominent members of the movement.

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

The March 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.

Library and IM-Related Highlights from the 2018-19 Departmental Results Reports

The website Librarianship.ca has published Highlights from the 2018-19 Departmental Results Reports.

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments:

"Departmental Results Reports replaced the former Departmental Performance Reports, which are part of the Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved."

"Below are some highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies."

The report for the Supreme Court of Canada is on the court website.