International Law

Natural Selection in the New Millenium

Posted on February 16, 2008
(h/t: Galloping Beaver) - Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net EMPLOYMENT LAW ? CIVIL LITIGATION ? WILLS AND ESTATES ? FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

Fatal "Happy Slap" Videographer Guilty of Aiding and Abetting

Posted on February 14, 2008
A 15 year-old British girl faces jail time after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting in the "happy slap" manslaughter of a West Yorkshire man. The teen videotaped the incident on her cell phone. According to Wikipedia, "Happy slapping is a fad in which an unsuspecting victim is attacked while an accomplice records the assault (commonly with a camera phone or a smartphone)...

Vote for Him If You Must... Just Don't Let Him Drive!

Posted on February 14, 2008
Which candidate for a U.S. Presidential nomination:racked up a strong 17 traffic violations, including seven in an eight-day stretch? And better yet, while this was from 1988 through 1991, he didn't actually pay those violations until last year, almost two decades later...

Valentine's Day Special

Posted on February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day is lighting up the law blogs with these fine selections:Wall Street Journal's Law Blog looks at Office Romances & The LawTimes Online gets to the heart of the matter and asks Should you bother with a prenup?If things have gone far south, Law...

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"Garry Is..."

Posted on February 13, 2008
Yet another Facebook time well-waster (from Rachel S.) to amuse your friends and loved ones... Google: "[YourName] is." See the truth that then unfolds before your eyes. You will laugh. You will cry. And then, you will blog about it.... Here are my top ten results: Garry is...

Democratic Primaries: Gloves Coming Off

Posted on February 13, 2008
If these comments by Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a Hillary Clinton surrogate, are any sign of what is now to come, it is fair to say the gloves are about to come off in the heated battle for the Democratic presidential nomination: Sen. Barack Obama's promise of transformation and an end of partisan politics has its seductive appeal...

Travel Advisory: US Customs May Copy Laptop Data

Posted on February 12, 2008
A new travel alert from Raw Story should be of specific concern to lawyers and other professionals who store privileged information on their laptop and wireless devices:Customs agents have the prerogative to examine and even copy data from travelling citizens' laptops they search, CNN's American Morning reports...

The Paperless Courtroom?

Posted on February 12, 2008
Law.com's C.C. Holland on the increasing use of audio-visual presentations in trial courts:Using visual aids to introduce information can make it more persuasive, says Noelle Nelson, a clinical psychologist and trial consultant based in Malibu, Calif...

Newmarket Trial: Criminal Charges Over Facebook Threats

Posted on February 12, 2008
National Post reports on a trial at Newmarket, Ontario where a 26 year old man faces charges over threats allegedly made on Facebook against Children's Aid workers who had apprehended his child.The man had started a Facebook group that included a petition against the CAS...

The Most Annoying Person in the Blogosphere Award...

Posted on February 12, 2008
... goes to Andrew Sullivan, of course: Did Bill Kill Hill?Not so crazy a theory. I've long believed that Bill Clinton is torn between two impulses - a desire to embellish his own record by seeing his wife get the presidency and a desire to embellish his own record by seeing his wife not get the presidency...

JFK's "Canadian Love Child"

Posted on February 12, 2008
Oh my... From the Globe and Mail (of all places): The man who American journalists are investigating as the possible illegitimate son of John F. Kennedy lives in British Columbia and bears a striking resemblance to the 35th president of the United States...

Wolcott on "Squeaky Polls"

Posted on February 12, 2008
Vanity Fair's James Wolcott:I've never bought the national polls showing Obama would be a stronger adversary for McCain than Clinton--I think those polls are as squeaky as the ones that showed Giuliani as the frontrunner all those months. I think Obama would probably beat McCain, but I know Hillary would because the Clintons have been through the thresher before and reflexively know how to judo flip Republican tactics and media attacks, not simply be reactive after taking a shot to the chin the way Gore and Kerry too often did...

War: "Not a Day at the Beach"

Posted on February 12, 2008
- Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net EMPLOYMENT LAW ? CIVIL LITIGATION ? WILLS AND ESTATES ? FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

McCain in '08

Posted on February 12, 2008
John McCain: Anticipated year of U.S. withdrawal from Iraq: 12,008. (A fitting parody of the Obama Yes We Can video)- Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net EMPLOYMENT LAW ? CIVIL LITIGATION ? WILLS AND ESTATES ? FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

Idaho: Mandatory Drug Sentencing Reviewed

Posted on February 12, 2008
Minimum drug-sentencing requirements are under review in Idaho, where a bill providing for greater judicial discretion and alternative sentencing is now before the State's House Judiciary Rules and Administration Committee.From Associated Press:Idaho now has 7,400 people behind bars...

Law 21 and Articling for Law Grads in Ontario

Posted on February 12, 2008
Jordan Furlong, lawyer and editor-in-chief of the Canadian Bar Association's National magazine has a new blog, Law21, that came to my attention via Connie Crosby.How can he miss, with a provocative profile teaser like this?In the 21st century, the practice of law is shaking loose from its traditional moorings and heading out into uncharted territory...

Carville And Frist Do Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on February 12, 2008
If you missed them first time around, the 2008 Super Bowl commercials are now online.- Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net EMPLOYMENT LAW ? CIVIL LITIGATION ? WILLS AND ESTATES ? FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

BREAKING: NHL Trade Deadline: JFJ to TSN!

Posted on February 12, 2008
My friend, Pseudonym, at Canada Eh! sums up what most of us are thinking about today's announcement that TSN has added former Leaf GM John Ferguson Jr. to its roster of commentators for the February 26 NHL trade deadline:I don't want to sound cruel but hiring JFJ as analyst on NHL trades is like hiring Britney Spears as a parenting expert...

Why Obama Trumps Clinton in a Debate with McCain

Posted on February 12, 2008
Prescient, eh? As you said, we'll see. But here's a recap of my arguments on the optics of a Clinton-McCain debate vs. an Obama-McCain one.The problem I foresee comes on the issue of national security which, while it is dropping south of the economy as Americans' prime concern, is still a hot button...

Journalist Barry Brown: Expect Obama Coronation

Posted on February 11, 2008
When I met Barry Brown a few months ago, I wasn?t too sure about him. He was working on a story for the Washington Times on Mark Steyn and Canada?s human rights legislation, and called one morning to interview me on the law and the various blog posts I had recently written on the topic...

Hillary or Obama?

Posted on February 10, 2008
Ah, the burden of potential... While the choice between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for Democratic Presidential candidate is a slam-dunk for some, it remains daunting for many. They are both strong, potent and inspiring candidates. Each promises a tomorrow that truly represents a new day for America...

Law Society May Abolish Articling Requirement

Posted on February 09, 2008
The Law Society of Upper Canada is looking at options to address the increasing shortage of articling placements, including abolishing the articling requirement. As part of its ongoing reform of the Licensisng Process, the Law Society is also considering a complete discontinuance of the "Skills & Professional Responsibility" program of the Licensing Process...

Legal Aid Spending Down

Posted on February 07, 2008
National Post reposts that the legal aid spending was down 4% in 2006-2007 from the 2005-2006 spending level.Apart from a drop in the overall number of applications for Legal Aid, the number of lawyers taking on Legal Aid cases also dropped by 9% over the previous year...

Yes We Can

Posted on February 06, 2008
I'm back after a bit of a holiday break, and while I limber up my typing fingers (both of them), here's Yes We Can, an inspired video that captures the essence of the Obama campaign:- Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw...

Super Tuesday: Super Close for Democrats

Posted on February 06, 2008
Results of yesterday?s Super Tuesday establish Senator Barack Obama and Senator Clinton are in a tight race for the White House. Of the 2,025 delegates required to win the Democratic Party?s nomination, CNN results indicate that as of this morning, Obama has 709 delegates and Clinton has 783...

An Update on the Shortage of Judges in Ontario Family Court

Posted on February 05, 2008
We have previously commented on ?chaos days? in the Newmarket family court as a result of the shortage of judges in Ontario family courts, and as an update, the County and District Law Presidents Association (CDLPA) will soon be releasing the results of surveys completed by various practitioners across Ontario ?on the issue of judicial resources in family, civil and criminal law? to both levels of government...

Ontario Judge Rejects Impaired Driver's Blackberry Defence

Posted on February 05, 2008
The Globe and Mail reports:When Curtis Fee was arrested for drunk driving after a police officer spotted him weaving across Highway 401 near Toronto, he came up with a novel argument: the BlackBerry defence. Mr. Fee said "there probably was a good chance" he was weaving across the freeway, but it wasn't because he was impaired, it was because he was sending messages on his BlackBerry...

Dr. Horror believed to be in Canada

Posted on February 04, 2008
According to a National Post news report, Dr. Amit Kumar, nick-named "Dr. Horror" by the Indian media, who allegedly operatd an underground oragn trafficking ring in New Delhi, India is believed to be hiding in Brampton, Ontario.Interpol has issued a rarely used "red notice" for Dr...

Giant Upset in 42nd Superbowl

Posted on February 04, 2008
For those of you who watched the 42nd Superbowl yesterday, you may have spent the first 3 ½ quarters as I did, more interested in the assortment of snacks available than in the game. However, the last 10 minutes of the New York Giants and New England Patriots game was nail- biting excitement...

Pets were Treated Better than the Maid: said U.S. District Court Judge

Posted on February 03, 2008
According to a National Post News Report a former vice president of legal affairs at Sony Pictures, James Jackson and his wife, Elizabeth were convicted last Monday by a Los Angeles court of forced labour involving their Filipina maid, who was an illegal immigrant in the U...

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