International Law

401 Pigs

Posted on April 14, 2008
It's been a while since I've had occasion to opine on swine (and if you haven't yet read of the misfortunes of one Alaina Templeton, you ought to), but this report from CityNews of a motor vehicle accident yesterday on Toronto's Highway 401 certainly provides adequate cover for another fleeting poke into the genre: For years, drivers have been complaining about road hogs on the 401...

Position Available: Junior Legal Assistant, Toronto

Posted on April 13, 2008
Wise Law Office is currently seeking a Junior Legal Assistant to join our Toronto law offices. The successful applicant will deliver direct client services, coordinate our current marketing initiatives and provide reception and administrative support in our offices...

Gang Wars and Family Courts

Posted on April 13, 2008
Here's a story for the books from the Denver Channel. I can imagine the custody battle already: COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- A couple fighting about which gang their 4-year-old toddler should join caused a public disturbance that resulted in the father's arrest, Commerce City police said Thursday...

Haircuts, Drivers' Licences, Bitterness and Hypocrisy

Posted on April 13, 2008
Having read the various apologetics from Obama supporters in their comments to Annie Kenet's post earlier today, "Obama Rules" Broken, I'll weigh in, too. Of course the current "bitter voters" story is dumb. Of course Mr. Obama's comment about gun-toting, bible-clinging, bitter Pennsylvanians has been spun out of proportion and robbed of context in the uproar that has followed...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

"Obama Rules" Broken

Posted on April 13, 2008
In a prior post, Garry Wise outlined his ?Obama Rules? - the playbook for Obama supporters and much of the American media covering the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Senator Hilary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama: Rule 1: Every word Barack Obama (or any one of his supporters) shall utter shall be deemed to be historic, monumental and as pronouncing a self-evident, higher truth never before heard...

Supreme Court Justice Bastarache Announces Retirement

Posted on April 12, 2008
Last week, Supreme Court Justice Mr. Michel Bastarache announced his retirement from Canada's top court. According to a Supreme Court of Canada news release: The Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of Canada, announced today that Justice Michel Bastarache has written to the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Robert Nicholson, to advise that he will retire at the end of the spring session of the Court, effective June 30, 2008...

Microsoft, the Olympics and the Symbol of Peace

Posted on April 07, 2008
And in other noteworthy anniversary news this weekend: Microsoft marked its 23rd anniversary, the peace symbol marked its 50th anniversary, and the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece marked its 112th anniversary.The Washington Post reports: The peace symbol -- three simple lines within a circle -- turns 50 today...

Canada's Thriving Defamation Industry

Posted on April 07, 2008
Is it becoming trendy for Canada's elected politicians to play the defamation game? Canadian Press reports that Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, following closely in the Prime Minister's guiding footsteps, is the latest to throw his hat into the nation's libel litigation sweeps: Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has advised The Canadian Press he intends to sue the national news agency for defamation for a headline it ran on a story featuring controversial comments he made on a home-movie videotape made more than 16 years ago...

Three Years Later

Posted on April 06, 2008
Three years ago, Wise Law Blog began, with virtually no thoughts at all on the role law blogs were going to have in the legal discourse of the day.Today, 847 posts later, we're still not sure. But we will keep working on it...I'd like to thank our readers for reading, Shashi Raina and Annie Kenet for writing, and the many other great bloggers out there who have been an inspiration, a challenge and an education...

An Anniversary Joke

Posted on April 05, 2008
The Truth:Bob and Nancy were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. After 50 years, Bob wanted to know if Nancy was always faithful. Bob asked, "Have you ever cheated on me?" Nancy replied, "Yes, three times." "What?!", yelled Bob, "When?" Nancy said, "Remember when the septic tank flooded back in ?69 and we couldn?t afford to fix it? I convinced the plumber to fix it for free...

Looking for America*

Posted on April 05, 2008
Originally posted August 27, 2005 It seems not that long ago that I was one of tens of thousand of Torontonians, rhythmically throwing our fists in the air with Bruce Springsteen, as we shouted "Born in the USA, I was.... Born in the USA," out in the open air at the old CNE Grandstand...

Ralph Kramden Sues the Bus Company

Posted on April 05, 2008
Ralph Kramden has an accident while driving his bus, due to malfunctioning windshield wipers. He decides to sue the bus company for negligence. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime," he tells a skeptical Alice. He's counting on damages of $10,000.00. With that kind of loot, "even after paying the lawyers," he says, "we'll be millionaires...

By Popular Demand... The Flintstones

Posted on April 05, 2008
This will actually be the second time this week we've had the opportunity to feature The Flintstones... That must be something of a blawger record. But it's the weekend, and that can mean only one thing. It's time again for Saturday at the You Tubes. The Blogversary Edition: - Garry J...

"I've Been to the Mountaintop"

Posted on April 04, 2008
An excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's final speech on April 3, 1968:Today is the 40th anniversaty of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968.Also see:Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr...

Toronto Traffic Court: "Flintstone Car" Not a Motor Vehicle

Posted on April 04, 2008
A Toronto traffic court's decison may have shaken the bedrock of Ontario Highway Traffic Act jurisprudence. CityNews gets our "headline of the year" vote for this story:'Flintstone Car' Driver Off The Hook For TicketIt was a work of art that wound up getting a traffic ticket...

NY Times: Obama Support Softening

Posted on April 04, 2008
A New York Times report Thursday shed new light on current American voter preference trends:The poll showed that Mr. Obama now leads Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, by 47 percent to 42 percent; his lead was 50 percent to 38 percent in late February, when Mr...

US Appeal Court: Roommate-Finding Website May Not Ask About Sexual Orientation

Posted on April 04, 2008
From MSNBC:SAN FRANCISCO - A roommate-finding site cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday, in the latest skirmish over whether anti-discrimination rules apply to the Web.The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Roommates...

'Blogversary' Special

Posted on April 04, 2008
I'm old enough now that I no longer count birthdays.So I note with interest, therefore, that as Wise Law Blog approaches its third 'blogversary' tomorrow, I'm actually quite looking forward to marking the big day with something a bit special.I haven't entirely decided what that will entail, yet...

Oregon Lawyers in Courthouse Fistfight

Posted on April 03, 2008
Via ABA Journal;Attorneys David Lawrence and Aaron Matusick had just left a Multnomah County landlord-tenant court hearing Thursday when they began shouting at each other, the Portland Oregonian reports."Although it's not clear exactly who did what, witnesses said one man slapped the other and the other responded with a punch to the forehead," the paper reports...

The George W. Bush Sewage Plant...

Posted on April 03, 2008
Via Think Progress:SFist reports that the enterprising Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is looking to rename Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility to the ?George W. Bush Sewage Plant.? The group explains it seeks to ?select a fitting monument to this president?s work? and to ?honor George W Bush for his eight years of honorable public service...

Ontario Minimum Wage Increases Today

Posted on March 31, 2008
Ontario's minimum wages are increasing today. The Province's general minimum wage is now $8.75 per hour. The minimum wage for students under 18 years of age rises to $8.10 per hour.The chart below (click to enlarge), adapted from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, details the full schedule of minimum wage increases now in effect, along with additional increases scheduled through March 31, 2010:- Garry J...

Earth Hour: ?Great Job Canada?

Posted on March 31, 2008
Promoted by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour was a global effort to raise awareness of climate change. Yesterday, between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Canada showed its support of the cause in numerous cities across the country. World Wildlife Canada reports: Earth Hour was a huge global success! On Saturday, March 29, from 8 p...

UK Employers to Protect Against 3rd Party Sexual Harassment

Posted on March 31, 2008
Employers in the Canada and in the United Kingdom have a legal obligation to protect their employees from sexual harassment in the workplace. Typical discussion of this obligation has focussed on the employer's duty to protect its employees from sexual harassment by other employees...

N.S., Quebec: New Laws Will Curb Driving While Talking on Cell Phone, April 1, 2008

Posted on March 31, 2008
My friend T. passes on this friendly memo from Bell Mobility regarding new laws that come into effect April 1st in two Canadian provinces that will regulate cell phone use while driving: On April 1st, new laws regarding the use of mobile phones while driving come to effect in Québec and Nova Scotia...

Ontario Minimum Wage Increases Today

Posted on March 31, 2008
Ontario's minimum wages have increased. The Province's general minimum wage rises today to $8.75 per hour. The minimum wage for students under 18 years of age rises to $8.10 per hour. The chart below (click to enlarge), adapted from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, details the full schedule of minimum wage increases now in effect, along with additional increases scheduled through March 31, 2010: - Garry J...

Earth Hour: ?Great Job Canada?

Posted on March 31, 2008
Promoted by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour was a global effort to raise awareness of climate change. Yesterday, between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Canada showed its support of the cause in numerous cities across the country. World Wildlife Canada reports: Earth Hour was a huge global success! On Saturday, March 29, from 8 p...

UK Employers to Protect Against 3rd Party Sexual Harassment

Posted on March 31, 2008
Employers in the Canada and in the United Kingdom have a legal obligation to protect their employees from sexual harassment in the workplace. Typical discussion of this obligation has focussed on the employer's duty to protect its employees from sexual harassment by other employees...

The Obama Playbook

Posted on March 30, 2008
The current, Five-Step Obama Campaign Playbook: 1. Declare presumptive victory before all votes are counted.2. Repeatedly emphasize that it would be wrong, undemocratic and positively un-American to require all ballots to be counted, given that inevitable victory has already been achieved...

Sunday Tunes: Who Fought the Law?

Posted on March 30, 2008
The weekend is upon us, so let's take a stroll through the YouTube archives to canvas a classic rebel-rock tune with a storied history:"I Fought the Law" is a much-covered song originally recorded by Sonny Curtis and The Crickets (post Buddy Holly) in 1959...

The Obama Playbook

Posted on March 30, 2008
The current, Five-Step Obama Campaign Playbook: 1. Declare presumptive victory before all votes are counted.2. Repeatedly emphasize that it would be wrong, undemocratic and positively un-American to require all ballots to be counted, given that inevitable victory has already been achieved...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.