CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice

What happens when Canadian judges travel abroad to share their expertise — and what do they bring back?   In this episode, Christine O'Doherty (Lawyer & CIAJ's Executive Director) welcomes The Honourable Justice Carole A. Beaton (Nova Scotia Court of Appeal), to discuss her involvement in the Technical Assistance Partnership Project – Federal Judicial Affairs Canada (TAP-FJA). The two sat down tog...

Ne pas connaître ses droits revient souvent à en être privé. Et ne pas les comprendre, c'est, au fond, se retrouver dans la même situation. Alors entre le droit et les personnes qu'il est censé protéger, une question demeure : comment rendre cette information réellement accessible?   Parmi les réponses possibles, le langage clair s'impose comme un levier d'accessibilité.   Dans cet épisode, Me Chr...

Universal accessibility should be the norm — so why does it remain the exception?  In this episode, Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel at CIAJ, speaks with the Honourable Justice Joshua B. Hawkes of the Court of Appeal of Alberta about the lived realities of people with disabilities within the justice system and the legal profession.  Drawing on his own experience as a person living with a disability, Just...

When courts listen, justice systems can begin to change. Hosted by Christine O'Doherty, Lawyer and CIAJ Executive Director, this episode features Dr. Jhoel Escudero, President of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, in the context of the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) Project led by Federal Judicial Affairs Canada. Dr. Jhoel Escudero discusses why the TAP Project was timely for Ecuador's j...

L'IA s'invite désormais dans les salles d'audience et les cabinets d'avocats. Mais comment fonctionne-t-elle réellement ? Quels sont ses usages concrets, de la recherche juridique à la gestion documentaire ? Peut-elle améliorer l'accès à la justice ou créera-t-elle de nouvelles inégalités ?   Dans ce 4ᵉ épisode de la série « Dans l'angle mort », l'honorable juge Simon Ruel s'entretient avec Cather...

Finland, renowned for being the happiest country in the world, has addressed homelessness head-on through a human rights-based approach to housing. Under the Finnish "Housing First" approach, everyone is entitled to a settled place to live, regardless of life circumstances. This system moves away from the goal of making people experiencing homelessness "housing ready," and toward supportive housin...

Guaranteeing the right to housing on its own misses a key overlapping concern: whether the housing is actually accessible. Despite the federal government's goal of achieving a barrier-free Canada by 2040, many people continue to face barriers in securing housing that meets their accessibility needs and are twice as likely to live in core housing need. In the third episode of this series, host Sara...

In 2019, the Canadian government recognized housing as a fundamental human right through the National Housing Strategy Act; however, in the years that have followed, housing affordability has only worsened for low- to moderate-income households. While this Act requires the federal government to address homelessness and core housing need, Canadian housing policies continue to benefit primarily thos...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping legal education — but is it a powerful learning tool or a shortcut that weakens critical thinking? In this episode, Host David Lazzam speaks with Dean Trevor Farrow (Dean and Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School) about the growing use of AI in law schools. Together, they explore the tension between innovation and academic integrity, the fear of overreliance, an...

Les changements climatiques deviennent un enjeu central de droits humains. Dans ce 3ᵉ épisode, l'honorable juge Simon Ruel s'entretient avec Maud Sarlieve, responsable du Secrétariat du Forum de recherche sur le climat (Programme de droit durable d'Oxford), sur la montée du contentieux climatique et ses tensions avec la séparation des pouvoirs. Ensemble, ils explorent des affaires emblématiques :...

Online harassment of political figures in Canada is on the rise. Nearly half of campaign-related tweets are uncivil or abusive, discouraging diverse candidates and eroding trust in democracy. In this episode, Host Anthony Giroux (L aw Student at the University of Montreal ) speaks with Sabreena Delhon (CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy) and Dr. Heidi Tworek (Canada Research Chair and Professo...

This episode of In All Fairness looks at Canada's new anti-greenwashing provisions under the Competition Act, which came into effect in June 2024. Host Ariane Savard is joined by Chris Russill (Carleton University, Re. Climate) and Julien O. Beaulieu (Imperial College London, University of Sherbrooke), to discuss the evolving definition of greenwashing, the role of the Competition Bureau, and the...

Protégé par la Constitution mais vulnérable aux pressions politiques, médiatiques et sociales, le pouvoir judiciaire ressemble parfois à un « géant aux pieds d'argile ». Dans ce deuxième épisode de la série Dans l'angle mort , l'honorable juge Simon Ruel discute avec Shana Chaffai-Parent, professeure adjointe à la Faculté de droit de l'Université de Montréal, et Jacques Chamberland, juge retraité...

Le juge Simon Ruel s'entretient avec Me Philippe Larochelle, président de l'Association du Barreau près de la Cour pénale internationale (ABCPI), pour faire le point sur la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), plus de 20 ans après sa création. Mandats d'arrêt contre des chefs d'État, accusations de politisation, enjeux de souveraineté, place des victimes, défis de la défense, écocide et preuve numéri...

SUMMARY Due to the cumulative effects of settler colonialism and the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous lands, Indigenous peoples in Canada experience significantly higher rates of housing insecurity than the general population. Existing mental health and substance use issues further exacerbate this issue, creating a cycle of insecurity. Host Sarah Rowe is joined by Margaret Pfoh, CEO of Aborigin...

In this episode, CIAJ's Articling Student David Lazzam sits down with Jessyca Greenwood, Principal Lawyer at Greenwood Law, to discuss how the legal system responds to substance dependency in the workplace. Drawing from years of experience representing vulnerable clients, Jessyca explores common legal challenges, gaps in employer obligations, and the role of stigma in shaping outcomes. Together, t...

Drug toxicity is a leading cause of death in Canada and around the world. Over the course of three episodes, we address three interrelated topics related to the toxic drug crisis. This final episode will review decriminalization policies in Portugal, British Columbia, and Oregon, and examine the mandatory treatment scheme in Alberta. Guests discuss how decriminalization is ineffective as a standal...

In this episode, CIAJ's Executive Director Christine O'Doherty welcomes The Honourable Chief Justice J.C. Marc Richard (of New Brunswick) to talk about his involvement in the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) Project. Drawing from his experience in Mongolia and Moldova, he discusses the importance of judicial independence and ethics. He addresses questions about Canada's role in strengthening...

Nicole Sherren, a neuroscience expert and Principal Consultant at R2P Solutions, joins The Honourable P. Colleen Suche, Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba, for an engaging discussion on the profound impact of childhood adversity on brain development, mental health, and addiction. Drawing on cutting-edge research, Sherren illustrates how early adverse experiences can rewire the brain,...

In this insightful conversation, host David Lazzam speaks with Gavin Cazon-Wilkes, a Legal Counsel with the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge. This episode highlights the Lodge's methodologies for uncovering Indigenous legal principles, its efforts to address addiction and mental health, and its aspirations for advancing Indigenous-led governance. Through concrete examples, Gavin demonstrates h...

Discover the impact of the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) through the experience of the Ecuadorian delegation at CIAJ's 2024 Symposium on Indigenous Justice System. Hosted by Christine O'Doherty, the Honourable Milton Enrique Velasquez Diaz, Justice of the National Court of Justice of Ecuador, explores how TAP facilitates exchanges between judicial experts and justice system actors, while supp...

In this engaging discussion, host David Lazzam welcomes Justice Richard Schneider and mental health advocate Noah Irvine to explore the intersection of addiction, mental health, and the law. Justice Schneider reflects on his extensive experience with mental health courts and the criminal justice system, while Noah shares a powerful perspective as a national advocate for systemic change. Drawing fr...

In this episode, David Lazzam hosts a compelling discussion with Vincent Ramsay, a retired family law attorney, and Nicholas Bala, a professor specializing in family and children's law. Together, they delve into the history of Canada's adversarial family law system and its profound impacts on families and children. Their engaging dialogue highlights the contrasting roles of "peacemaker" and "hired...

Dans cet épisode, Qurat-ul Ain, étudiante, invite le professeur Alexandre Lillo, enseignant en droit à l'UQAM, à explorer un sujet novateur : le lien entre la pédagogie alternative et l'accès à la justice. Ensemble, ils plongent au cœur des méthodes d'apprentissage non traditionnelles, comme l'apprentissage par le jeu, et leur impact sur la formation des futurs juristes. Le professeur Lillo partag...

In this episode, host Christine O'Doherty is joined by special guests Tina Parbhakar, Amy Schwab, and Jane Morley, K.C., to explore the Transform the Family Justice System Collaborative, an innovative initiative in British Columbia, launched in 2022. As key contributors to this groundbreaking user-centred initiative, the guests share their insights on efforts to redesign the family justice system....