Anything related to the court system, sentencing of offenders, or incarceration issues
Before hearing arguments January 24, Federal Court of Appeal David Stratas dismissed the Competition Bureau's effort to overturn Competition Tribunal approval of Rogers Communications’ $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications. The takeover now needs only only cabinet approval to proceed. [node:read-more:link]
The Federal Court of Appeal today heard arguments on whether the proposed Rogers Communications $20-billion bid for Shaw Communications can proceed. The Competition Bureau opposes the deal on grounds that it will mean less competition and potentially increased costs to consumers who already pay some of the highest rates in the world, but that argument was rejected by the Competition Tribunal. [node:read-more:link]
The legal and safety implications of a Federal Court order to the government to repatriate four alleged Canadian members of ISIS are quickly becoming an issue for debate at home. The Ottawa lawyer who represented the men and other Syrian-held captives says the government can prosecute them if they’re held responsible for terrorist activitities but a former CSIS officer says an effective prosecution needs evidence and witnesses in Syria. Moreover, says Phil Gurski, “the supporters of these men and women have portrayed them as victims that need to be rescued.” [node:read-more:link]
The federal government has agreed to pay $2.8 billion to settle a 2012 class-action lawsuit by 325 First Nations seeking compensation for the loss of language and culture caused by its residential school system. Subject to final discussions and court approval, the money will be paid to an independent non-profit trust. [node:read-more:link]
Thousands of protesters packed the streets of Tel Aviv on the weekend, the latest in a series of protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition government which is widely acknowledged as the most right-wing and religious-nationalist in Israel’s history. A key issue is a proposed shift of legal power to the government from the courts but critics also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is trying to rein in the judges in an attempt to avoid a jail sentence. [node:read-more:link]
Quebec Premier François Legault says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been “attacking Quebec's democracy and people” by proposing to limit the use of the notwithstanding clause in the Constitution. Calling it a “frontal attack” on Quebec’s ability to protect its collective rights, Legault says he’s considering a referral to the Supreme Court of Canada. [node:read-more:link]
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has ordered an independent review of emails between her office and Crown Prosecution Service ors last fall. She was responding to a report which suggested that the prosecutors were being politically pressed on cases arising from last year’s border blockades and protests. “As soon as we see if the emails exist, then we'll make sure that we have a presentation to the public,” Smith said. [node:read-more:link]
Federal Court Justice Henry Brown has ruled that four Canadian men held in Syrian camps are entitled to the federal help to return home and that the government should not only provide them with the necessary travel documents but also assign a representative to travel to Syria to facilitate their release. [node:read-more:link]
The Ottawa lawyer representing the families of six Canadian women and 13 children held in Syria by Kurdish forces said today that a repatriation agreement has been reached. However, Lawrence Greenspon also said the fate of four male detainees is still in the hands of the Federal Court. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a request by a coalition of New York firearms dealers to shut down tighter controls on retail sales. The state’s Democrat-led legislature passed some of the laws last June; other were adopted in July after the Supreme Court struck down the state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. [node:read-more:link]
The Alberta government gave notice today of its plan to scrap an agreement with the Canada Border Services Agency to detain persons awaiting immigration approval. “The change comes in response to concerns about using correctional facilities to hold people who haven’t been charged with a criminal offence, nor convicted of one,” it said in a statement. The decision takes effect at the end of June. [node:read-more:link]
Anderson Torres, formerly the public security chief in Brasília, has been arrested by Brazil’s federal police. Torres ostensibly was in charge when thousands of rioters stormed key government buildings in the capital January 8. He is accused of failing to act against the rioters and beind in collusion with them. [node:read-more:link]
A failed Republican candidate said to be angry over his defeat in the last New Mexican state election, claiming it was “rigged”, was arrested January 16 in connection with a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democrat legislators and county officials. [node:read-more:link]
A University of Toronto student and his mother are suing three Toronto police officers and the Toronto Police Services Board for nearly $3 million in damages, alleging that the student was unlawfully and violently detained in August 2021. Police disciplinary documents refer to the incident, which involved repeated shocks with a Taser, as a case of “mistaken identity.” [node:read-more:link]
Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former Member of the European Parliament in custody since mid-December, has cut a deal with Belgian authorities whereby he admits involvement in a bribery scandal which has resulted in a sitting MEP being detained. The controversy surrounds a cash-for favour scheme involving “large sums of money” reported from Qatar and Morocco, both of which deny the allegations. [node:read-more:link]
