The Rodgers Brief

Link to buy the book; https://www.amazon.ca/Post-Atheist-21st-Century-Democratic-Governance/dp/1778104223

This week in law, I examine the writ of mandamus application by an Ontario lawyer to force the Federal Government to name judges, the new Federal 'Action Plan' re: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the NS MLA suing the government over a resolution aimed at expelling her from the Legislature, an estate case where a dying beneficiary asked her mother to give...

Happy Father's Day! This week in law, I cover the controversy over the shortage of Judges in NS's Provincial Court, the Crown cross-appeal of the William Sandeson verdict, the rejected claim for $170,000 compensation for illegally caught lobster, the 15 year old accused C.P. Allen student's plea on attempted murder by stabbing allegations, the tragic life and death of the wrongfully co...

This week in law, I discuss the proposal to move notorious killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to a medium security prison, the likely reasons behind the request, and what changes could be made to parole reviews in order to avoid this kind of situation. In addition, I cover the failed attempt to certify a class action lawsuit against a suspended Halifax dentist, Dr. Errol Gaum, and also the sentencing...

This week in law, I review the appointment of retired Court of Appeal Justice Linda Oland as temporary chair of the Mass Casualty Commission implementation committee, the not-guilty verdict of former RCMP officer Kevin O'Brien on an allegation of sexual assault by a former colleague, the Crown application to have Brian Marriott declared a Dangerous Offender, the slip and fall claim by Garnet M...

This week, I cover the recommendation from former Governor General David Johnston that there not be an inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in our elections. One of his concerns was how an inquiry would deal with top secret documents, and I have some suggestions for that. This week saw the first "State of the Courts" event in Nova Scotia, where the chief justices of the court...

This week in law, I remember my late client, Barbara Reddick, who was so much more than people know from the chase-the-ace case that put her in the spotlight. I then discuss new federal legislation on bail reform, as well as the just-passed firearms legislation C-21. Then, in caselaw this week, I discuss a small claims court decision on collectable cars and action figures that was appealed from th...

This week in law, I review the CBC reporting on police oversight boards in Nova Scotia and how it does not align with the advice from the Mass Casualty Commission. I also review the case of R. v. Minugh, where an aspiring law student is sentenced for vile harrassment and comments directed towards Cst. Nick Dorrington, who was highly regarded for his actions and testimony in the MCC. After that, I...

This week in Nova Scotia legal stories includes analysis of a decision involving a dramatic theft of an RCMP cruiser and the brave efforts of the officer to stop and arrest the thief. The case is R. v. Pike, and is a decision of Justice Hunt. The 'R' in caselaw is changing with the coronation of King Charles III. Instead of R representing the Queen, it is now the King, and all court clerks...

To start the podcast, I give a preview of my forthcoming book of legal and political philosophy, "The Post-Atheist 21st Century - An Evolution in Democratic Governance and Personal Meaning", which will be available in the coming week on Amazon. It is aimed at intelligent and curious regular (that is, non-academic) readers, and attempts to describe a trend in governing ideology that is fr...

This week in law, I look at prominent cases in the United States and Nova Scotia. The charges against Alec Baldwin, arising from the shooting on the Rust movie set, have been dropped by special prosecutors brought in to handle the matter. My Pillow founder, and prominent election denier/conspiracy theorist, Mike Lindell, has been ordered to pay $5 million to a software forensics expert who won a c...

This week in law, a final update from the Mass Casualty Commission, where they urge everyone to work on their recommendations, and note that they will not longer monitor their social media or emails. The spring sitting of the Nova Scotia Legislature has ended after 14 days. There were very few mentions of the MCC in the legislature after the final report was issued. I review some of the legislatio...

This week in law, I review the historic indictment against former President Trump, and discuss how different that case would be here in Canada, and my assessment of the relative strength of the case. Included is a short digression of the only sitting U.S. President to be arrested - in that case, for speeding a horse. I gave been reading more of the Mass Casualty Commission report, and one piece th...

Analysis of the MCC final report from the Nova Scotia lawyer who followed the Commission proceedings throughout. I have written my own report on the events and the public inquiry hearings, and compare my findings to those of the Commission. In the video, I discuss the findings on how policing should change, and how domestic/gender-based violence should be addressed much differently. I also cover t...

This week in Canadian and Nova Scotian law stories involves a range of issues from the Mass Casualty Commission to treason allegations, a DUI Charter breach analyzed by the Supreme Court, and problems with the reaction to the knife incident this week at the C.P. Allen high school in Bedford. The Mass Casualty Commission may be trolling us. Their final report is being released next Thursday, and ye...

This week in Nova Scotian and Canadian law, I give a preview of the Mass Casualty Commission's final report, which is set to come out March 30th. The MCC stated this week that the report will be between 2000-3000 pages, a statement that seemed designed to ward off 'instant' reactions or critiques as being necessarily ill-considered. The final decision on the search warrants issued abou...

This week in law, I discuss my day at the Applied Forensic Psychology Day at St. F.X., the successful appeal by former IWK CEO Tracy Kitch, how a Quebec Judge says giving 'the finger' is a god-given right, the Province of NS's defense to the Allison Holtoff lawsuit, the trial of retired RCMP officer Kevin O'Brien on an allegation from 29 years ago, and an erroneous video on the distracted driving...

The big stories this week in Canadian law are the New Brunswick Court of Appeal decision on Justin Bourque, the killer of three RCMP officers in 2014, and the attempts by the Chinese government to influence the past two Canadian federal elections. There were also two big stories out of the United States. In one, South Carolina 'legal dynasty' heir Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wi...

This week in Nova Scotian and Canadian law, I start with an analysis of the Mass Casualty Commission announcement that they are releasing their final report on March 30th in Truro.  Next, I review the strange case out of Musgrave, NF where a municipal councilor was re-instated by the Court after having been removed for violating the Town's vaccine mandate. Next, I review the William Sandeson...

The Public Order Emergencies Commission report was released this afternoon. I review the legal questions arising from the inquiry, and analyse the report from Justice Rouleau

This week in Nova Scotia and Canadian legal news, the biggest story is the early resignation of RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. Commissioner Lucki was under fire for her performance during the Freedom Convoy, as revealed in the Emergencies Act Inquiry. As well, she was featured in some controversial moments in the Mass Casualty Commission in Nova Scotia. I argue that she was made a scapegoat in th...

I start this episode by discussing a visit I had with 4th year forensic psychology students at St. F.X., their thoughts on my Deficits of Trust report, and on the psychology of the killer, Gabriel Wortman.  This week also saw the federal government file its defense to the lawsuit started by Wortman's spouse, Lisa Banfield. I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the defense.  The murde...

The NS Mass Casualty Commission issued an update this week on their progress, as we approach the March 31st (extended) deadline for their report. I review the update, and a talk with St. F.X. students I will be giving this week. Small Claims Court Adjudicator, Tuma Young K.C. issued a decision this week in the Mi'kmaw language. In doing so, he referenced the Mi'kmaw Language Act which was passed l...

This week in The Rodgers Brief, I review the pending dispute in the federal election boundaries in Cape Breton. One MP neglected to speak up when consultations were ongoing, and is now trying to claim that the boundary changes violate the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  In other NS cases, a man was convicted after confessing to a sexual assault and attempting to claim his...

There were some interesting cases out of Nova Scotia this week, including the Crown's successful appeal of Colin Tweedy's acquittal on the death of 10 year old Talia Forrest, and the retrial of Dal Med student William Sanderson for the murder of fellow student Taylor Samson. There is a new Federal tax in place, which seem to be encroaching on Provincial jurisdiction. The Underused Housing Act targ...