The McGill Law Journal Podcast (McGill Law Journal)

In this episode, we will explore alternatives to established theories in corporate governance, and their ensuing implications for addressing pressing societal problems. We will hear from Dr. Carol Liao, an associate professor, UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar​, and Director of the Centre for Business Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law.

In this this two-part epsiode, we hear from McGill Law graduates whose unconventional careers challenge the typical image of what it means to be a lawyer or have a law degree. Our guests for part two are Aaron Wenner and Geeva Samynathan, both law graduates who decided to pursue entrepreneurial careers.

Aaron is co-founder and CEO of CiteRight, a Toronto-based legal-tech start-up that helps coordinate legal research and drafting. Geeva runs a consultancy company, ECTAA, that provides guidance in management, environmental consulting, and corporate training. 

In 2021, the Ontario Superior Court developed a new tort of online harassment. The tort was fashioned to respond to the outrageous conduct of the defendant, who incessantly posted malicious and defamatory falsehoods about the plaintiffs across various online platforms. But was the creation of a new tort necessary? And will it provide an effective solution for other victims of cyberbullying or internet harassment? Our guest is Iris Fischer, co-head of the Toronto Litigation Group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.

Music by Alexander Shamaluev and IvyMusic from Pixabay.

The Afghanistan War and its legacy continue to exert a profound influence over Canada’s national security policy. In this episode, we reflect on Canada’s role within the war and the international humanitarian law that governed the conflict. We speak with Retired Maj Gen Blaise Cathcart, Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces (2010–2017), and Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame.

In this episode, we delve into Canadian and international legal avenues available to victims of human rights abuses; we evaluate Canada’s State Immunity Act; and we theorize on the future of state and corporate accountability both in Canada and internationally. We are joined by Amanda Ghahremani, an international lawyer, legal consultant and research associate. Most recently, she was a member of the legal team for the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case of Nevsun Resources Ltd v. Araya.

Has Canada achieved the right balance between protecting the state’s national security interest and respecting the legitimate privacy expectations of Canadians? In this episode, we speak with Professor Vincent Gautrais (Université de Montréal) and Éloïse Gratton, a partner and co-Chair of the Privacy Practice Group at McMillan LLP, about state surveillance in Canada and its impact on the right to privacy.

Le Canada a-t-il atteint le juste équilibre entre les intérêts gouvernementaux dans la protection de la sécurité nationale et les attentes des Canadiens en matière de vie privée ? Dans cet épisode, nous rencontrons le professeur Vincent Gautrais de l’Université de Montréal et Me Éloïse Gratton, co-présidente du groupe en protection de la vie privée au cabinet d’avocats McMillan, afin de discuter de la surveillance étatique et de ses impacts sur le droit à la vie privée.

As the effects of climate change continue to be felt across the globe, litigants have attempted to hold governments accountable through constitutional challenges. To explore this emerging area, we speak with Dennis van Berkel, legal counsel to the Urgenda Foundation in its historic case against the Dutch government, as well as Dayna Nadine Scott, associate professor at York University and York Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice in the Green Economy.

A recording of the lecture delivered by Professor John Borrows at the McGill Law Journal's 2022 Annual Lecture. The Annual Lecture is a McGill Law Journal tradition that dates back to the 1980s. This year, Professor John Borrows spoke about the role students play in reshaping and growing the law and the legal field by collectively engaging in the process of making sense of the world around us. 

In February 2022, the federal Government invoked the Emergencies Act in response to a series of protests and blockades across Canada. We speak with Professor David Schneiderman about the historic use of emergency powers in Canada, the development of the Act, and the implications of its invocation.

Should you be able to discriminate in a will? In 2016, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in Spence v BMO that if someone has made a will and their intention is clear, then no one can really challenge that will. At first glance, this sounds reasonable; people should be able to do what they want with their property when they die, but what if their will is being used in a discriminatory way? We spoke to McGill University Professor Angela Campbell and wills and estates practitioner Ian Hull about testamentary freedom and whether courts are willing to balance this concept with protections against discrimination.

Although the reasonable person standard continues to be a useful tool in many areas of the law, it can also reinforce stereotypes of power and privilege. In this episode, we speak with Professor Mayo Moran about what a critical lens reveals about the shortcomings and limitations of the reasonable person standard.

En juin 2019, l’Assemblée nationale du Québec adopta la fameuse Loi sur la laïcité de l’État, ce qui suscita de vifs débats sur la scène politique. Au cœur de la polémique se trouve l’utilisation controversée de l’article 33 de la Charte canadienne, autrement connu sous le nom de « clause dérogatoire ». Le présent balado a pour objet d’éclaircir le débat entourant l’utilisation de la clause dérogatoire, et ce, en se concentrant sur son utilisation dans la Loi sur la laïcité de  l’État. À la lumière de l’expertise des professeurs de droit constitutionnel Jean Leclair (UdeM) et Louis-Phillippe Lampron (ULaval), il sera question du contexte dans lequel la clause a été créée, de son utilisation historique, de ses répercussions sociales et juridiques ainsi que de sa valeur réelle dans une société démocratique. Ce podcast a été réalisé par Simon Filiatrault et Amélie Racine, rédacteurs juniors de la RDM. Produit par Talia Huculak, Rédactrice des podcasts de la RDM.

Our newest episode features an insightful interview with Brad Regehr, president of the Canadian Bar Association. Mr. Regehr is the first Indigenous president in the organization’s history, and has been a leader in the legal field as a partner at Maurice Law. This episode will explore the experiences that inform his approach, as well as his vision for the Canadian Bar Association.

L'intelligence artificielle (IA) est présentement au centre d'une profonde transformation technologique. D'aucuns croient également que l'IA façonnera la façon dont nous administrons et dont nous rendons la justice en permettant l'introduction de systèmes décisionnels automatisés dans l'administration publique. Mais cela sera-t-il pour le pire ou pour le mieux, et comment s'assurer que nous introduisions et utilisions cette technologie de façon responsable ?

Notre premier épisode de la série MLJ Shorts analyse une nouvelle loi fédérale ayant pour objectif de combattre le trafic d'organes. Garnett Genuis, le député qui a parrainé le projet de loi S-223 à la Chambre des communes, nous explique pourquoi il a été introduit et quel rôle il pourrait jouer dans la lutte contre les violations des droits de l'homme au-delà des frontières du Canada.

This is the second of a two-part podcast on revenge porn, tort law and privacy. Does Ontario's tort of public disclosure of private facts, recently recognised in Doe 464533 v ND, extend to content-hosting websites or anonymous users? How much should victims of revenge porn be compensated? What is the role of tort law in protecting fundamental freedoms, particularly as they relate to women’s rights?

We spoke with internet lawyer Allen Mendelsohn, civil liberties expert Cara Zwibel and comparative legal scholar Giorgio Resta to tackle this complex issue.

This episode is geared toward current McGill Law Students: it’s an exciting time, because you have the chance to become part of an incredible community, as well as to contribute to the legacy of a venerable institution in the legal discourse. But don’t take our word for it — this episode features two successful alumni who speak about their experiences on the Journal.

This episode focuses on various elements and models of AI governance and regulation, as well as the related topics of AI agency, liability and algorithmic bias. It features an insightful interview with Me Maroussia Levesque, whose dissertation focuses on developing a polycentric model of AI governance.

Every law society in Canada requires that prospective lawyers satisfy some version of the requirements of good character and mental fitness. In this episode, we discuss the meaning, purpose and effectiveness of these requirements with Professor Alice Woolley of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law and Mr. Raj Anand, a partner at WeirFoulds LLP and bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Comment le système canadien d'immigration et de protection des réfugiés réagit-il aux conflits qui provoquent un afflux de migrants ? En utilisant la guerre en Ukraine comme étude de cas, nous discutons du programme de résidents temporaires protégés et de ses lacunes, en considérant surtout les conséquences au niveau de l’intégration communautaire.

Cet épisode est le premier de notre série Counterpoint, qui met en conversation des universitaires et des praticiens du droit avec des travailleurs communautaires ayant l'expérience du droit dans son application. Nos invités sont le professeur François Crépeau, titulaire de la Chaire Hans et Tamar Oppenheimer en droit international public et M. Kinan Swaid, directeur des opérations au Centre des réfugiés à Montréal, et responsable du département orientation et académique du Centre.

In Toronto (City) v. Ontario (Attorney General), the Supreme Court held the Ontario government's decision to reduce the size of Toronto's City Council – during an election – was constitutionally valid. In this episode, we explore the case and its implications on freedom of expression and unwritten constitutional principles. We speak with Nathalie Des Rossiers, Principal of Massey College, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario when the events transpired.

The former federal government has been criticized for allegedly picking judges based on political considerations and in a non-transparent manner. In the second part of a two-part episode on the federal judicial appointment process, we look into whether the current process needs to be reformed and, if it does, how. We speak with Leonid Sirota, J.S.D. Candidate at the New York University School of Law and Professor Rosemary Cairns Way from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law.

Bill C-11, commonly known as the Online Streaming Act, has been riddled with controversy since its introduction in June of last year, through to its adoption as law in April 2023. Canada’s first major reform of the Broadcasting Act since 1991, the Act aims to promote Canadian content on online streaming services, in part by extending the regulatory powers of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). In this episode, we hear from Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, on why the Act falls flat, and how it misunderstands the nature of on-demand streaming services.

This conversation was recorded in January 2023, while Bill C-11 was in its third reading before the Senate.

Dans cet épisode, nous explorons les droits et obligations respectives des propriétaires et des locataires au Québec. Nous discutons du phénomène des rénovictions, des particularités du Tribunal administratif du logement, ainsi que de certains mécanismes mis en place pour protéger les droits des locataires et de solutions potentielles à la crise du logement qui touche plusieurs villes du Québec.

Nous parlons avec Me Marc-André Émard, avocat au Bureau Centre-Sud de l’aide juridique, et Me Daniel Crespo Villareal, chargé de cours en droit du logement à l’Université du Québec à Montréal et avocat chez DDC Légal.

Dans cet épisode, nous plongeons au cœur de la justice des jeunes contrevenants au Canada, avec une attention particulière portée sur le Québec.

Nos invitées sont Me Véronique Champagne, procureure en chef au Bureau des affaires de la jeunesse du Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénale et Mme Catherine Lapierre, directrice des services de justice réparatrice pour mineurs à Équijustice.

In this episode, we discuss the various tactics used by police during protests for racial justice and their legality, both from a general legal standpoint and from the American context. Our guest is Karen Pita Loor, Clinical Associate Professor of Law at the Boston University School of Law.

While proponents of conversion therapy argue that legislative bans infringe on freedoms of expression and religion, its opponents contend that failing to impose a ban would have harmful consequences. Now criminalized at the federal level, we discuss the practice of conversion therapy: its impacts, ideological underpinnings, and the legislative approaches to its ban in Canada.

We speak with Dr. Kristopher Wells, associate professor in the Faculty of Health and Community Studies at MacEwen University, and author of the Canada Research Chair report, “Conversion Therapy in Canada: A Guide for Legislative Action.”

The Supreme Court will start its fall session on October 5th. The judges will tackle a wide range of issues including Indian status and the independence of administrative agencies. It's also the first session for the newly appointed Justice Brown. To get an overview of the cases and issues coming before the Court, we spoke with Mr. Eugene Meehan, QC, a litigator at Supreme Advocacy LLP.

In Part Two of Clerks! we visit the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa to hear about recent changes to the clerkship recruitment process. Gib van Ert outlines the new process, and we consider how clerkships reflect broader themes at play in our legal culture.

Dans ce deuxième épisode de Clerks!, nous visitons la Cour Suprême du Canada, à Ottawa, pour en apprendre davantage sur les plus récents changements au processus de recrutement des auxiliaires juridiques. Gib van Ert détail le nouveau processus, puis nous considérons comment l’institution des auxiliaires juridiques reflète plus largement des grandes tendances de notre culture juridique.

Music: "Diamond in the Back" by Curtis Mayfield, "Conspiracy," "Anticipation," and "Music of Beauty" by Fesliyan Studios, and introductory and concluding songs by Benjamin Goldman and David Nugent.

This two-part podcast is by Éléna Drouin and Laura Alford, Editor-in-Chief and Executive Coordinating Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Produced by Alexis Hudon and Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editors for volumes 62 and 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Today’s guest is one that you won’t want to miss: Brian Gallant, 33rd premier of New Brunswick and current CEO of the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation. Mr. Gallant has a fascinating journey, from student and lawyer to politician and premier, and now to advisor and CEO. Over the course of this episode, he discusses each step on his path to making a difference, and how every lawyer can play a role in promoting social change.

In Tsilhqot’in Nation v British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a declaration of Aboriginal title for the first time in its history. To better understand the evolution of Aboriginal title, from Calder to Tsilhqot’in and beyond, we interview David Rosenberg, whose extensive experience includes acting as lead counsel for the Tsilqot’in Nation at trial and on its successful appeal to the Supreme Court.

While the use of segregation – or what’s more commonly known as solitary confinement – is increasing in Canada, so is opposition to the practice. Indeed, the BC Civil Liberties Association and John Howard Society of Canada have launched a legal challenge to the use of segregation in federal prisons. In this episode we explore Canada’s use of the practice through the lens of the legal challenge. We explain what segregation is, the harm it causes, and what’s being done to change how it’s used in Canada.

We speak with Howard Sapers, the Correctional Investigator of Canada, Alison Latimer, a lawyer with Farris, Vaughan, Wills, and Murphy and co-counsel on the BCCLA and John Howard Society’s case, and a man who, on the condition of anonymity, shared his personal experience of segregation.

This episode seeks to uncover the impact and significance of the Caring Society litigation, which condemned the Canadian government's approach to First Nations Child Welfare and called for action on policies that have continued to perpetuate historical inequalities. Our guest is Dr. Cindy Blackstock, member of the Gitksan First Nation in Northern British Columbia, Professor of Social Work at McGill University and Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.

Over the last 5 years, the use of section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, known as the Notwithstanding Clause, has become increasingly controversial. This episode delves into the historical context of the Notwithstanding Clause to shed light on the section’s current issues. Using Quebec’s Bill 21 and Ontario’s Working Families cases, we highlight the tensions between legislative authority and judicial oversight.

We speak with Marion Sandilands, partner at Conway Litigation and Professor at the University of Ottawa.

Facial recognition technology is increasingly being used by law enforcement across Canada. However, law enforcement has not always been transparent about its use. With little to no law currently regulating this technology, privacy advocates insist that Canadians should be concerned. In this episode, we explore these issues by speaking with Ignacio Cofone, assistant professor at the Faculty of Law of McGill University, and Andrea Slane, associate professor at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities of the Ontario Tech University. This podcast is by Lexi Michaud and Alicia Krausewitz, board members of Volume 65 of the McGill Law Journal. Produced by Talia Huculak, podcast editor of Volume 65 of the McGill Law Journal. 

This episode explores how governments are beginning to re-think tax policy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guests are two Osgoode Hall Law School professors: Jinyan Li, co-academic director of the LLM tax program, and Scott Wilkie, a tax law practitioner and a former chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation.

Reflecting on 40 years of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we speak with Professor Martha Jackman from the University of Ottawa about the right to health. In particular, we explore how the right has been litigated on section 7 and section 15 grounds to advance protection over social determinants of health—such as access to food, clean water, and housing—with varying degrees of success. This special episode was produced in collaboration with the McGill Journal of Law & Health.

In Part 1 of our two-part series on judicial independence, we dive into the judicial appointment process of the superior courts of Canada to get a better sense of the stakes involved for both prospective judges and broader society. This episode features an insightful interview with Brad Regehr, President of the Canadian Bar Association, who discusses the CBA's approach to these complex issues.

It’s been nearly ten years since the Robert Pickton trials. In this largest serial murder case in Canadian history, all the victims were women and a majority of them were Aboriginal. In this episode, we use the case as a springboard to ask: what role should the criminal justice system play in response to violence against Aboriginal women? And where it fails, are other avenues of justice available?

We first interview Professor Elaine Craig (Schulich School of Law) about her recent article in the McGill Law Journal, to hear about the Pickton trials and the limits of the criminal justice system when faced with problems of collective violence. We then speak with Ellen Gabriel, an Indigenous rights advocate, to look at a community’s response to this violence and other ways forward.

In this episode, we explore how Medical Assistance in Dying legislation works on the ground, asking what challenges continue to face medical practitioners and patients when applying its criteria. We also ask broader questions about the meaning of capacity, proportionality, the role of conscientious objection, and, finally, what remains excluded from the law. Our guest is Nicky Fraser, clinical nurse specialist in MAID at the MUHC.

Lors du dernier épisode, nous avons mis en lumière, en compagnie du président de l’Association du barreau canadien, Brad Regehr, le processus de nomination de la magistrature aux cours supérieures du Canada. Dans cet épisode, nous situerons le processus de nomination judiciaire dans son contexte politique plus large. Notre invité est Patrick Taillon, professeur à la Faculté de droit de l'Université Laval.

As the trial begins for the court challenge to Bill 21, our newest episode aims to provide helpful context that emphasizes the social effects behind the legal arguments, while offering a glimpse at what it’s like to be at the forefront of a major Charter case. Our guests are Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, director of the Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and Me Nour Farhat, a lawyer representing the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement.

Third-party litigation funding (TPLF) has become a steadily growing practice in recent years, as more and more parties are bringing lawsuits to court with the financial help of large hedge funds or specialized commercial companies. In this episode, we explore this new judicial practice further by speaking with Professor Jasminka Kalajdzic, director of the Class Action Clinic at Windsor Law School, and Me Neil A. Peden, litigator at Woods LLP, about his upcoming case 9354-9186 Québec inc. v. Callidus Capital Corp. This is the first case dealing with TPLF to be litigated at the Supreme Court of Canada. Since the recording of this episode, Me Peden has won his case, shedding further light on this emerging practice. Ce podcast est bilingue et a été réalisé par Nathaniel Reilly et Victor Vauclair, membres juniors de la RDM. Produit par Talia Huculak, Rédactrice des podcasts de la RDM. 

In Part II of Legal Personality of the Environment, we meet with Rob Clifford, a PhD student at Osgoode Hall and a member of the Tsawout First Nation, to discuss the concept of legal personality of the environment and its applicability in Canada. We notably discuss the transplantation of this doctrine in Canada, in light of its federal architecture and of the rich diversity of Indigenous legal traditions across the nation.

This two-part podcast is by Raphaël Grenier-Benoit and Boris Kozulin, Executive Editor and Senior Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Produced by Alexis Hudon and Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editors for volumes 62 and 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

La loi 15 sur la réforme des régimes de retraite municipaux représente-elle une façon légitime pour le gouvernement de mieux gérer les fonds publics ou est-elle une mesure inconstitutionnelle qui vient brimer le droit d'association des travailleurs municipaux? Dans cet épisode, nous discutons avec Serge Cadieux, secrétaire du conseil et secrétaire général de la FTQ, et Frédéric Massé, associé chez Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, des circonstances qui ont mené à l'adoption de cette loi controversée, ainsi que du débat entourant sa constitutionalité.

Is Bill 15, a law instituting the reform of municipal pension plans throughout Québec, a legitimate way for the government to rein in public spending or does it represent an unconstitutional encroachment on the freedom of association of municipal workers? In this episode, we speak with Serge Cadieux, Secretary of the Board and Secretary General of the FTQ and Frédéric Massé, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP about the causes that led to the adoption of this controversial law and the debate surrounding its constitutionality.

By signing Bill C-45, Canada became the second country in the world to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. Subsequent news coverage raised concerns about the potentially negative effects of legalization for Canadians, especially those crossing the US-Canadian border. In this podcast, we explore the practical implications of cannabis legalization, examining emerging issues related to workplace safety, privacy, property rights, the constitutional division of powers, and what Canadians can say to border officers if asked about cannabis use. We will hear from Me Joël Dubois, a practicing lawyer at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP and co-developer of the University of Ottawa’s Cannabis Law course. We will also hear from Mr. Henry Chang, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer and partner at Dentons. This podcast is produced by Talia Huculak and Lauren Weaver, associate editors for Volume 64 of the McGill Law Journal. 

In this episode, we speak with Mr. Dennis Edney, lawyer for former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr. We discuss the balance between national security and civil liberties, the conception of the rule of law in Canada, and the next steps in Omar Khadr's case.

You may have heard of revenge porn. But what legal recourse do you have if someone publicly shares a sexually intimate image or video of you? Does Canadian law respond adequately to such invasions of privacy? Are there broader systemic problems when the courts attempt to adjudicate on legal issues involving the internet? 

Yuan Stevens and Sammy Cheaib use the 2016 Ontario Superior Court case Jane Doe 464533 v ND as a jumping off point for this vital discussion. We spoke with internet lawyer Allen Mendelsohn, civil liberties expert Cara Zwibel and comparative legal scholar Giorgio Resta to tackle this complex issue. This is part one of a two-part episode.

Today’s episode features a very special guest: Senator Murray Sinclair. His groundbreaking career has had a significant impact on the Canadian legal landscape, from his appointment as the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba and only the second in Canada to his service as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Dans cet épisode du Balado de la Revue de droit de McGill, nous explorons les limites du système judiciaire en matière de crimes sexuels, les obstacles qui empêchent les victimes de trouver justice par le processus pénal, les risques de la dénonciation en ligne et, finalement, les autres recours disponibles.

Part one of Causing a Comeau-tion explored an attempt to break down interprovincial trade barriers in Canada through the use of litigation. In part two, we consider the consequences of the case. The Supreme Court ruled that the existing barriers to the sale of alcohol across provincial borders do not violate the constitution. While the case might initially appear to be a straightforward defeat for the litigants, the case could lead to other types of victories that prove it to be an example of successful legal mobilization. We get back in touch with Howard Anglin and Professor Christopher Manfredi, who share their thoughts on the decision and what its ultimate outcomes could be.

This podcast is by Adam Casey, Podcast Editor for volume 64 of the McGill Law Journal.

This episode will explore access to justice as part of the McGill Law Journal's progression towards open access, highlighting the importance of access to justice and how access to legal information can contribute to this pursuit. 

In this episode Me Steeves Bujold provides rich insight on how to improve access to justice, particularly for marginalized communities, and the way in which the legal industry can evolve to best serve those who need access the most. 

Pour souligner le lancement du Volume 64:2 de la Revue de droit de McGill, nous publions de courts épisodes où les auteurs présenteront un aperçu de leur article. Aujourd’hui, Me Frédérick Doucet décrit l’article qu’il a coécrit avec Me Geneviève St-Laurent, intitulé ≪ Le droit à l’égalité et l’accès aux professions réglementées : bilan contrasté de la jurisprudence canadienne ≫.

This episode features an insightful interview with Professor Carissima Mathen, and examines the 2018 SCC decision of R v. Boudreault. First, it explores how the constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment has evolved to consider the disproportionate impact of mandatory victim surcharges on disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Second, it provides a look at the role of access to justice within the case.

This episode navigates the intricate landscape of the Canadian legal system as it intersects with the lives of neurodivergent individuals. We aim to explore the ways in which autistic people may interact with the legal system and how various factors can influence the overall journey through the justice system. We discuss potential solutions and suggestions aimed at reducing ableism and providing support for neurodiverse populations.

We hear from Dr. Stephanie Ehret, a criminologist and Assistant Professor of Sociology at Trent University. Dr. Ehret’s research focuses on gender and violence, as well as autism and criminal justice.

Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of technologies providing and enhancing legal services. Some view these developments as a way to promote access to justice, while others point to emerging ethical dilemmas. To explore these issues, we are joined by Jena McGill, Professor at the University of Ottawa, and Costa Ragas, partner at Fasken and a core part of the ViaFasken team.

To coincide with Volume 64:2 of the McGill Law Journal, the MLJ Podcast has been publishing bite-sized bonus episodes where you can hear directly from authors about their work. In this episode, Professor Malcolm Lavoie discusses his new article, “Property Law and Collective Self-Government.”

This episode explores how Canadian police forces use algorithmic surveillance and predictive technology in their work, while analyzing its implications for privacy, rights and bias in decision-making. Our guest is Yolanda Song, a civil litigator and legal researcher who co-authored a recent report on the use of algorithmic technology by Canadian law enforcement.

In this two-part episode, we hear from McGill Law graduates whose unconventional careers challenge the typical image of what it means to be a lawyer or have a law degree. Our guests for part one are Alba Stella Zuniga Ramos and Hanson Hossein, who have built careers in municipal politics and journalism, respectively.

This episode is the first in the MLJ Podcast’s Legal Fictions series. Made for and by law students, Legal Fictions traces developments in the legal profession, aiming to demystify the practice of law, delve into the history of its regulation, and reimagine its future.

Manitoba judge, Lori Douglas, has sexually explicit photos out there on the Internet. They were put out there by her now-deceased husband without her consent. Since 2011, the Canadian Judicial Council has been inquiring into whether she should be removed from the bench. The inquiry committee was set to look at the photos until Justice Douglas negotiated that she would retire. In exchange, the CJC has suspended the inquiry.

In this episode we get to the bottom of Justice Douglas’ story in hopes of uncovering what expectations we have of our judges. After Justice Douglas, who can be a judge? We talk with Kyle Kirkup, a Trudeau Scholar and doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and Professor Susan Drummond of Osgoode Hall Law School.

The city of Toronto is currently working with a private company to develop a “smart city”—a neighbourhood that incorporates the collection of big data into its urban design. Since its inception, the project has inspired debate about how data generated by the public/private partnerships ought to be used. In this podcast, we consider the implications of some of these questions, and ask who should own the data and intellectual property generated from projects that rely on both public and private investment. We will hear from Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in information, law and policy at the University of Ottawa, and Natalie Raffoul, an IP lawyer called to the bar in Ontario with a practice that focuses on procurement, licensing, and other IP issues. This podcast is produced by Andrea Salguero and Adam Casey, editors for volume 64 of the McGill Law Journal.

Edward Snowden. Chelsea Manning. Julian Assange. While divisive figures such as these have dominated news cycles and been the subject of fierce debate throughout the last decade, whistleblowing is neither a new phenomenon nor one that is strictly American. Who are some key Canadian whistleblowers? How might the law protect those who disclose? And what is the role of hacking in whistleblowing and what are the effects?  Yuan Stevens and Doron Lurie spoke with Prof. Gabriella Coleman to answer these questions and more.

Music in this episode: "The Collector" and "Night Owl" by Broke for Free, "Candlepower", "Readers! Do You Read?", and "We Always Thought the Future Would Be Kind of Fun" by Chris Zabriskie, "hydroscope" by Gallery Six, "In the Streets" by Indian Wells, "Chantiers Navals 412" by LJ Kruzer, and "Lips" by Plurabelle.

L’action collective existe au Québec depuis 1978. Prenant pour exemple le très médiatisé recours contre les fabricants de tabac, nous dressons le portrait de cet outil procédural, ainsi qu’un bilan de son influence sur le paysage juridique québécois. Nous discutons avec Me Philippe H. Trudel, associé au cabinet Trudel Johnston & Lespérance, Me Jean-Saint-Onge, Ad. E., associé au cabinet Lavery, ainsi que le professeur Daniel Jutras, Ad. E., de la Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill.

Quebec’s class action regime has been around since 1978. Using the highly publicized class action against tobacco manufacturers as an example, we discuss the typical procedures followed in class action litigations and the impact of this regime on Quebec’s legal landscape. We speak with Me Philippe H. Trudel, partner at Trudel Johnston & Lespérance, Me Jean-Saint-Onge, Ad. E., partner at Lavery, and professor Daniel Jutras, Ad. E., of McGill’s Faculty of Law.

Across the United States and beyond, many students, lawyers and citizens have grieved the loss of a brilliant Supreme Court Justice, a trailblazing woman and an outstanding role model. To commemorate her life and reflect on her legacy, we are joined by Professor Deborah Jones Merritt, who has known Justice Ginsburg for over 40 years.

In part I of “Shifting Paradigms,” you heard about Transsystemia at McGill’s Faculty of Law–but what does this pedagogical approach look like elsewhere?

In part II of this two-part episode, we sat down with comparative and private law Professor Pascal Ancel of the University of Luxembourg and constitutional and Indigenous law Professor John Borrows of the University of Victoria on their transsystemic-inspired programs. Professor Ancel led a working group that created le bachelor transnational at the University of Luxembourg, while Professor John Borrows is currently leading the University of Victoria’s proposed joint degree in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders, alongside Professor Val Napoleon.

The words, interviews, and production of this two-part podcast are by Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Pour notre dernier épisode lié au Volume 64:2 de la Revue de droit de McGill, Dr. Ivana Isailović donne un aperçu de sa recension critique, intitulé « Familles, inégalités et droit dans un espace mondialisé ».

Selon les statistiques les plus récentes de Statistique Canada, deux grandes entreprises canadiennes sur cinq auraient été victimes d’une cyberattaque. Dans cet épisode, nous explorons les implications légales découlant des logiciels malveillants (“malware”) avec Maître Éloïse Gratton, avocate et associée au cabinet Borden Ladner Gervais. Nous discutons les impacts au droit à la vie privée, la protection des renseignements confidentiels et personnels et les obligations légales des entreprises de signaler ou de notifier les incidents.

La décision de la Cour Suprême dans l’affaire Jordan est rendue à l’été 2016. Le jugement met en place un plafond ferme pour les délais des procédures criminelles. Comment en est-on arrivé là ? Comment la Cour justifie-t-elle sa décision ? Quelles sont les conséquences de cet arrêt au Québec ? Comment le gouvernement a-t-il réagit ? Que reste-t-il à faire ? Le podcast de la Revue de Droit de McGill va au fond de l’affaire avec le criminaliste Alexandre Bien-Aimé et la députée, critique de l’opposition officielle en matière de justice, Véronique Hivon.

Traditionally used to protect trade secrets and proprietary information, non-disclosure agreements are now regularly found in employment contracts and settlement agreements of all kinds. But these agreements can also operate as oppressive contracts of silence – particularly when invoked to prevent victims of discrimination, harassment, or abuse from speaking out about their experiences. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Julie Macfarlane about the questionable legality of non-disclosure agreements, and how legislative reform could restrict their ability to perpetuate harm.

The federal government has been criticized for allegedly picking judges based on political considerations and in a non-transparent manner. In the first part of a two-part episode on the federal judicial appointment process, we look into the scope of the government’s discretion in naming judges and the role that ideology or partisanship might play in the process. We speak with Sean Fine, justice reporter at the Globe and Mail; Professor Robert Leckey of McGill’s Faculty of Law; and David Gourdeau, a former commissioner for federal judicial affairs.

Transsystemia is the term that is controversially used to describe the academic program at McGill’s Faculty of Law. This pedagogical approach is often praised by its practitioners, welcomed but doubted by onlookers in other law faculties, and challenging, to say the least, for its students. Is Transsystemia the be-all-end-all in legal education? And what have been some of the challenges and successes in applying this approach at McGill and elsewhere?

In part I of this two-part episode, we speak with former McGill Law student and current Professor of private law, Rosalie Jukier, and McGill Law Chair of the 1995-1996 Committee on Curricular Reform, Professor Shauna Van Praagh, to hear their thoughts on these questions and more.

The words, interviews, and production of this two-part podcast are by Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Huit ans après la publication du rapport final de la Commission de vérité et de réconciliation du Canada, cet épisode se penche sur les voies possibles des interactions entre les peuples autochtones et l'État canadien. Nous nous entretenons avec Jean Leclair, professeur de droit à l'Université de Montréal spécialiste du fédéralisme et du pluralisme juridique, pour mieux comprendre le concept de justice transitionnelle dans le contexte canadien.

Where did Supreme Court Clerkships come from? What do clerks do? Why all the hype?? In this episode, we learn about the history and the role of clerkships at the Supreme Court of Canada from the 1960s to the present. We talk to Professors Shauna Van Praagh, Stephen Smith, and Lionel Smith about clerking at the end of the Dickson era. We then get the judge’s perspective through conversations with Justices Marie Deschamps and Frank Iacobucci. Tune in to episode two to hear about recent changes to the recruitment process, live from the SCC!

Quelle est l’origine du programme des auxiliaires juridiques de la Cour suprême du Canada et pourquoi a-t-il été créé? Que font les clercs? Pourquoi un tel engouement? Dans cet épisode, on se penche sur l’histoire du programme des auxiliaires juridiques, ainsi que leurs fonctions, de 1960s au présent. On discute avec les Professeurs Shauna Van Praagh, Stephen Smith et Lionel Smith de leur expérience de clercs à la fin des années Dickson de la CSC. Puis, on s’entretient avec les Juges Marie Deschamps et Frank Iacobucci pour obtenir leur perspective. Restez à l’affut pour le deuxième épisode afin d’en apprendre davantage sur les changements récents au processus de recrutement, en direct de la Cour suprême du Canada!

Music: "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher, and introductory and concluding songs by Benjamin Goldman and David Nugent.

This two-part podcast is by Éléna Drouin and Laura Alford, Editor-in-Chief and Executive Coordinating Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal. 

Produced by Alexis Hudon and Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editors for volumes 62 and 63 of the McGill Law Journal. 

Should Canadian-born children’s eligibility for government social and health services depend on their parents' immigration status? In this podcast, we explore how current interpretations of the Quebec Health Insurance Act are being used in the province to deny healthcare coverage to some Canadian children on this basis. We will hear from Maître Milton James Fernandez, a lawyer at Pinay, a nonprofit grassroots organization for migrant and Filipino women in Quebec, and Robert Leckey, Dean of McGill’s Faculty of Law. This podcast is produced by Karine Bédard and Tiran Rahimian, board members for Volume 64 of the McGill Law Journal.

Three years following the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, the role of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in regulating cannabis has yet to be adequately addressed, creating a state of legal uncertainty over questions about jurisdiction and control. Despite this uncertainty, some Indigenous nations have nonetheless begun to assert their inherent rights to self-government and regulate cannabis according to their own customs and laws. In this episode, we explore both the challenges the Cannabis Act has posed for Indigenous governments and cannabis entrepreneurs, as well as the flourishing “red market” of cannabis businesses that operate and are licensed under Indigenous laws and frameworks.

Making the victim surcharge mandatory is the latest Conservative tough-on-crime measure to come under fire in the courts and in the media. The victim surcharge requires that any person sentenced for a crime pay a surcharge in addition to any other sentence they receive - this money is intended to fund victims’ services. In 2013, the government passed a bill that doubled the surcharge and removed the discretion that judges previously had to waive it.

This episode explores the function and purpose of a victim surcharge in criminal law, the rationale behind making it mandatory, and the ways that some judges have resisted it.

We interview Sue O’Sullivan, Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, and Kim Pate, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.

At the international level, malware has become a tool of transnational repression – enabling governments to reach across national borders to silence and surveil dissidents. We speak with Siena Anstis, senior legal advisor at The Citizen Lab, about how digital transnational repression takes place, how it implicates human rights, and how governments around the world are responding to its occurrence.

October 2nd marks the first day of the Supreme Court of Canada’s fall session.

Among the 30 cases ranging from freedom of religion, equality rights, and contract law– to name a few on the docket– what are some major cases to look out for? With news of the Chief Justice’s retirement at the end of the fall session, what can we gather from the McLachlin Court’s legacy? Could an early announcement of the next Chief Justice affect the dynamic of the Court this fall?  

On this episode, we addressed all of these questions and everything in between with one of Canada’s senior constitutional scholars, Professor Jamie Cameron.

The words, interviews, and production of this podcast are by Emma Noradounkian, Podcast Editor for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

This episode explores the practice of solitary confinement in Canada and the winding road toward its abolition. Our two guests, Andrea Monteiro (former Director of Corrections for the Yukon Government and founder of Ethical Correctional Consulting, Inc.) and Nora Demnati (a Montreal-based prison lawyer and instructor at McGill’s Faculty of Law) bring their differing experiences and perspectives to bear on the question of prison reform. Our discussion centres around the history and evolution of solitary confinement, why its elimination has proved difficult, and the challenges of piecemeal versus system-wide change.

In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled in R v Gladue that courts must courts “take judicial notice of the broad systemic and background factors affecting aboriginal people, and of the priority given in aboriginal cultures to a restorative approach to sentencing.” Thirteen years later, the Court made it clear in R v Ipeelee that the principles outlined in Gladue are not going away. Yet it is still unclear whether the Canadian justice system has gotten the message. In this episode of the MLJ Podcast, we discuss the current state of aboriginal sentencing in Canada with Jonathan Rudin, Program Director of Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto and founder of the first Gladue court in Canada.

Over the fall, the Supreme has tackled a wide range of issues from privacy to duty to consult to freedom of religion. Justice Cromwell's retirement gives us the opportunity to reflect upon its judicial legacy; Justice Rowe's appointment placed the new appointment process under the spotlight. To get an overview of the cases and issues that came before the Court, we spoke with Mr. Thomas Slade, a litigator at Supreme Advocacy LLP.

Précarité ou flexibilité? Barry Eidlin, Professeur de sociologie à l'université McGill, et Me Marc-Antoine Cloutier, avocat pour RTAM-Métallos, nous aident à mieux comprendre les nouvelles dynamiques du droit de l’emploi dans le contexte de l’économie de partage au travers des activités d’Uber au Québec.

Ce podcast bilingue explore également l’impact des innovations technologiques sur les travailleurs, et les tensions existantes avec des cadres législatifs soi-disants rigides.

L’innovation doit-elle nécessairement se faire au détriment des acquis sociaux et au prix d’entorses aux règles de droit? Comment accomoder les différents acteurs, qu’ils soient innovateurs, consommateurs ou travailleurs?

Ce podcast a été réalisé par Francis Langlois et Alexis Leray, administrateurs juniors de la RDM. Produit par Francis, Alexis et Emma Noradounkian, Rédactrice des podcasts de la RDM.

In this episode, we examine what health equity means and try to understand both the challenges and the opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic presents for achieving health equity in Canada.

Our guests are Steven Hoffman, a professor of global health law and political science at York University, as well as Daniel Weinstock, a professor at McGill University's Faculty of Law.

This episode is sponsored by Torys LLP.

In this special mini-episode, we discuss government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges that continue to be faced. Our guest is Lorian Hardcastle, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary. Professor Hardcastle's research covers a wide range of health-related topics, including public health law and policy, regulation and governance of the health care system, and liability and governance of health facilities.

Au cours de cet épisode, notre équipe explore les obstacles juridiques, politiques et sociaux au rapatriement des objets culturels autochtones au Canada. Notre invité est Me François Le Moine, qui pratique en droit des arts et en droit d’auteur, et qui enseigne le droit des arts et du patrimoine culturel à l’Université de Montréal.

Enshrined in the Canadian Constitution since 1982, Canada’s equalization program transfers federal tax revenue to provinces whose fiscal capacity is less than the national average. But since its inception, equalization has been subject to recurring public debate and controversy. In this episode we explore the constitutional legal history of equalization and unpack Alberta’s 2021 equalization referendum with Professor Eric Adams from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law. 

Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual violence and genocide.

This episode explores how non-governmental and other international organizations work to achieve justice and redress for survivors of international war crimes. We speak with Natia Navrouzov, who shares expertise on the role of NGOs, and the international community, more generally, in obtaining redress for Yazidi survivors of genocide. 

To coincide with the publication of Volume 64:2 of the McGill Law Journal, the MLJ Podcast is introducing bite-sized bonus episodes where listeners can hear directly from authors about their work. In this episode, Professor Noah Weisbord discusses his timely article, Who’s Afraid of the Lucky Moose? Canada’s Dangerous Self-Defence Innovation: "With little public discussion, the Canadian law of self-defence has become, in important respects, more permissive than Florida's notorious stand-your-ground law."

Regulating online content is a complex issue that platforms and governments alike continue to grapple with. In this episode, we explore the Canadian Government’s Proposed Approach to Address Harmful Content Online and its potential impact on civil liberties.

We speak with Me Lex Gill, a public interest lawyer who co-authored a recent report on the pressing privacy, freedom of expression, and human rights considerations related to the government’s proposal.

On this week’s episode, MLJ Editors Garima Karia and Addie Lalande explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for ADR. How are ADR professionals adapting to this new reality, and will these changes outlast the pandemic? They speak with Me Anaïs Lacroix, a lawyer and co-founder of Latitude Management, as well as Professor Fabien Gélinas, a professor at McGill’s Faculty of Law and an international arbitrator.

The conflict in Syria has resulted in one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history, displacing more than 12 million Syrians, 4 million of which have left the country entirely. In this episode, we examine the terminology used to describe the current crisis, Canada’s response to the situation, and avenues that might improve the protection of refugee rights in the future. We speak with Francois Crépeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, and Paul Clarke, Director of Action Réfugiés Montréal.

Cryptocurrency's rapid rise has placed financial regulators in uncharted territory, forcing experts to think outside the box about how to best regulate decentralized digital assets. This episode will explore the Canadian cryptocurrency regulatory landscape in the wake of the FTX collapse and consider how it might evolve in the future.

In this episode, we speak with Me Laure Fouin, co-head of the Digital Assets and Blockchain group and a partner at the Montréal office of Osler, a leading Canadian law firm. 

Le projet de loi n° 96, la loi sur la langue officielle et commune du Québec, le français, a été présenté par le gouvernement de la Coalition Avenir Québec en 2021. Il propose plusieurs mesures pour renforcer et promouvoir la langue française au Québec. Bien que l’Assemblée Nationale du Québec a voté unanimement pour que le projet de loi 96 passe à la phase de consultation, certains ont remis en cause sa nécessité et sa constitutionnalité. Dans cet épisode, nous discuterons avec le professeur Guillaume Rousseau et Me Julius Grey sur les origines et les objectifs principaux du projet de loi 96 ainsi que les critiques les plus courantes formulées à son encontre.

“Free the Beer!” It’s become a rallying cry across Canada, largely thanks to a legal challenge brought before the Supreme Court in 2017 concerning the transfer of alcohol across provincial borders. In R v Comeau, the Court considered the constitutionality of interprovincial trade barriers on the sale of alcohol following an appeal brought by Gerard Comeau, a man who was fined for transporting alcohol from Quebec to New Brunswick.

In this episode, we examine the struggle to break down interprovincial trade barriers, as well as the institutional and political pressures that make litigation the best (and perhaps the only) way to do it. McGill political science professor Christopher Manfredi tells us about legal mobilization, the process of using litigation to push for a policy goal. We also speak with Howard Anglin, Executive Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, who explains why the CCF decided to support Mr. Comeau’s case and what they hoped to achieve.

This podcast was created and produced by Adam Casey and Emma Noradounkian, editors for volume 63 of the McGill Law Journal.

Dans le premier volet de cet épisode en deux parties, Dominique Goubau, professeur de droit à l'Université Laval, examine les principaux changements apportés par le projet de loi 2 - devenu loi en juin 2022 - sur le droit de la famille au Québec.

Dans cet épisode, nous discuterons du rôle de la responsabilité civile dans la prévention des dommages environnementaux. Afin de nous éclairer sur ce sujet, nous avons invité Maître Michel Bélanger, avocat spécialisé en recours collectifs et en droit de l'environnement.

La découverte des fosses communes à Sinjar en Iraq et l'ampleur des crimes commis par Daesh contre les minorités religieuses soulèvent d'importantes questions sur la ou les façons dont la justice peut être servie lors d'atrocités de masse telles que commises à l'encontre de la minorité yézidie.

Pour nous entretenir sur le sujet, nous avons eu le privilège de rencontre le Professeur Payam Akhavan et Dr. Barzan Barzani de la Faculté de droit de McGill. Professeure Akhavan a été récemment désigné pour mener l'établissement d'une truth commission pour les yézidies. Dans le cadre de son sujet de recherche pendant son post-doctorat, Dr. Barzani a interrogé des centaines de victimes des crimes commis contre les yézidies.

Ce podcast a été réalisé par Sofia Brault et Tiran Rahimian, rédacteurs juniors de la RDM. Produit par Sofia, Tiran et Emma Noradounkian, Rédactrice des podcasts de la RDM.