After a winter that would have caused even the Abominable Snowman to consider decamping to Hawaii, it is safe to say that we were all looking forward to three or four months of warm weather. Well, it's the end of August and - apart from a few bracing blasts of heat - we're still waiting. […]
From Stephen Spong
"That's the letter U and the numeral 2"
With the recent passing of Casey Kasem, known primarily in the US as the voice of the "American Top 40" radio countdown and as the voice of Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons, I thought of one of Kasem's more notorious outings, and one that was an early example of current hot-button topics such as copyright, […]
The scourge of York?
While the issue of campus safety is one that has always been something of an elephant in the room at York - especially of late - there is another animal that lurks in the periphery of our consciousness and every year rears its head. Of course, I am referring to the Canada Geese that, as […]
Spring has sprung - now start studying!
It's the first day of spring (just don't look outside), and of course that means that if you haven't started to feel the end-of-term crunch, you will (and probably should!) very soon. Of course, the library should be a major focal point for your study and research (if it's not, for shame!), and we're here […]
Eastern European and CIS Law
Given the near-ubiquity of Ukraine and Russia, along with the attendant complicated history and politics that run deep between them, in the news over the past weeks and months, it would seem that it would be a good time to do a brief blog post on available resources for legal research former Soviet CIS (Commenwealth […]
Scottish Law - More different than you might think!
Having just returned from Scotland this past week, I feel compelled to write about Scots law which, though it is part of the UK (for now), is markedly different from English law. With the referendum on Scottish independence set for September 18 of this year, there has been a tremendous amount of discussion into the […]
Canadian booze regulation - a chequered history
The state of Canadian liquor laws and regulations is something that occasionally crops up in op-eds across the country, but then quietly fades away only to flare up again periodically. Although Prohibition in the popular consciousness has a distinctly American flavour, evoking images of Al Capone, speakeasies, and bathtub gin (as an era, it certainly […]
Frozen
It is somehow appropriate that on the first weekend of 2014, the top-grossing movie at the North American box office was titled Frozen, which pretty much sums up the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 in North America in general and Toronto in particular. For those of you who went home to points outside of […]
SCC strikes down prostitution laws
This morning, the Supreme Court of Canada released a landmark ruling that struck down a series of laws surrounding prostitution. The long-term implications remain to be seen, as the unanimous judgement has been suspended for a year in order to give parliament time to respond and (presumably) enact new legislation. Incidentally, there is a strong […]
New AODA regulations coming into effect January 1st
For those of your who are interested in disability law and critical disability studies, it is worth pointing out that the latest round of Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) regulations will be coming into effect on January 1, 2014 (amazingly, less than two weeks away). AODA regulations are being gradually rolled out on […]