In a recent column up at Slaw.ca, Amy Salyzyn argues that Canadian law societies should change their rules to prohibit retired SCC judges from practicing law in any circumstances.

The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) is currently undertaking a review of its Ethical Principles for Judges. More information can be found here.

In response to an invitation from the CJC, CALE/ACEJ has provided some initial feedback on the substance and process of the proposed review. For those interested in reading more, here is the letter that we have sent.

Malcolm Mercer, Law Society of Ontario Treasurer and CALE Member, has a new post up on Slaw.ca that discusses the recent Law Students Society of Ontario report on the issue of debt load experienced by Ontario law students and the factors influencing the costs associated with becoming a lawyer.

CALE member Andrew Martin has a new article up on SSRN (published in UBC Law Review).

Here is the abstract:

In Schmidt v Canada (Attorney General), the Federal Court of Appeal interpreted a series of provisions requiring the Minister of Justice to inform the House of Commons if government bills or proposed regulations are “inconsistent with” the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Canadian Bill of Rights. The Federal Court of Appeal, like the Federal Court below, held that these provisions are triggered only where there is no credible argument for consistency. In doing so, both Courts relied, in part, on a separation of powers argument. They stated that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General is not a legal advisor to Parliament. However, this statement was a legal error: federal legislation provides that the Attorney General is, as a matter of law, a legal advisor to Parliament.

CALE President Amy Salyzyn has a new column up at Slaw.ca on the question of whether Canadian law societies are well-positioned to address sexual harassment complaints brought against lawyers. You can check it out here.

Malcolm Mercer’s latest Legal Ethics column on Slaw.ca provides a thoughtful exploration of the Law Society of Ontario’s mandate. Check it out here.

CALE member Malcolm Mercer’s November Slaw column can be found here.

The agenda for the 2017 CALE Annual General Meeting, which will be held on October 28, 2017 in Halifax, can be found here:  2017 AGM Agenda

Several significant motions passed at the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Convocation meeting today, including a motion dealing with a name change and a motion dealing with alternative business structures.

With respect to the name change, “Convocation voted overwhelmingly to change the Law Society’s name at its next meeting in November and to discontinue use of the words “Upper Canada.” For more details, see here. A lively debate on this issue that took place before today’s vote can also be found at on Slaw.ca here.

Regarding alternative business structures, “Convocation approved, in principle, a policy to permit lawyers and paralegals to provide legal services through civil society organizations (CSOs), such as charities and not-for-profit organizations.” For more details, see here.