Manitoba lawyers will soon have to take mandatory training on Indigenous rights and history as part of a new requirement from the Law Society of Manitoba. The one-time, mandatory training is a new requirement from the Law Society of Manitoba, which regulates the legal profession in the province, to ensure all lawyers in Manitoba have a common knowledge base on Indigenous issues, said Alissa Schacter, equity officer and policy counsel for the Law Society of Manitoba. The law society believes having this education is a matter of competence, she said. “Lawyers need to have this understanding of the place that we live, its history and the people who lived here prior to European contact in order to be able to assist their clients and represent them effectively,” she said.…
Category: Law News
Uganda’s President Museveni approves tough new anti-gay law
Uganda’s government has resisted pressure to drop the legislationUganda’s progress in tackling HIV is in “grave jeopardy” after the president approved tough new anti-homosexuality legislation, the UN and US have warned. An increasing number of people are being discouraged from seeking vital health services for fear of attacks and punishment, they added. President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law after parliament watered it down. It is still among the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world. Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda but now anyone convicted faces life imprisonment. The legislation imposes the death penalty for so-called aggravated cases, which includes having gay sex with someone below the age of 18 or where someone is infected with a life-long illness including HIV.…
Are Canada’s competition laws outdated? Some say it’s time for change
Whether checking in at the airport or checking out at the grocery store, it seems everywhere you turn these days, you find frustrated consumers. Many complain about high prices or limited choices across sectors — and blame the lack of competition. But now, the federal government is looking to update Canada’s competition laws — possibly the most significant review in decades. Everything seems to be on the table, from tiny tweaks to a major overhaul. Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell is one of those pushing for reforms. “I think it’s fair to say, unfortunately, that the Competition Act is lagging behind our international peers,” said Boswell.…
Can your Will be Challenged after you die? Contesting a Will and Family Provision Applications Explained
A common question that is asked is whether estranged family members or step-children may be able to challenge their entitlements under a will. Although challenging the will usually comes after death, it is important for anyone making a will to understand:who is entitled to challenge a will; and whether the challenger may be successfulThis will assist a maker to understand the implications when drafting their will. How to Challenge a Will If a person intends to challenge their entitlement, or lack thereof, under someone’s will then they will make a Family Provision Application to the Court. Not everyone can make a Family Provision Application and Queensland succession laws restricts who is entitled to make such an Application via the following three categories:the deceased’s spouse (not just a husband and wife, it can also be a de facto partner or the deceased’s former husband or wife or partner); the deceased’s child (biological, unborn at the date of death, adopted or step-child); and a dependent of the deceased (this includes anyone who has been wholly or substantially maintained by the deceased at the date of death but common examples include the deceased’s parent or a parent of the deceased’s child).…
Children 12 and under don’t have to wear a life-jacket in Ontario, but a new law would change that
Children ages 12 and under aren’t required by law to wear a life-jacket when they’re in a boat in Ontario. But that could change thanks to a new bill. Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari has introduced a private member’s bill, called Joshua’s Law, that would make it mandatory for children ages 12 and under to wear a life-jacket or personal flotation device while on a boat in Ontario waters. Bill 93 takes its name from Joshua Steinberg, who was 11 when he died in a boating accident in 2018. He was not wearing his life jacket at the time. Since then, his mother, Cara McNulty, has been a strong advocate for stricter laws around life-jackets for children.…
Foreign lawyers are restricted from working on national security cases in Hong Kong – National
Hong Kong’s legislature passed a legal amendment on Wednesday to prevent foreign lawyers working on national security cases, a restriction critics say will undermine fair trials and the right of defendants to choose their lawyers.The amendment enshrines in law a ruling from China’s top lawmaking body last December that Hong Kong courts must get the approval of the city’s leader before admitting a foreign lawyer without Hong Kong qualifications for national security cases. The use of foreign lawyers by both prosecutors and defense has long been part of the rule of law traditions in the former British colony and in recent years some have become involved in defending critics of the Beijing-backed city government.…
Trump’s defeat in Carroll case presages more legal peril
With one jury verdict in the books — complete with a $5 million award to Carroll — here’s a look at what’s coming next in Trump’s legal travails. Indictment watch in Fulton CountyKey date: July 11 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, a state that President Joe Biden won narrowly. Willis recently told local law enforcement to prepare for potential indictments between July 11 and Sept. 1. Willis’ charging decisions are rooted in the work of a special grand jury she convened to determine whether Trump violated state election laws in his bid to remain in power.…
Virginia judge says the law banning sales of handguns to young adults is unconstitutional
Article content RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a law banning licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional.Article content The ruling Wednesday by US District Court Judge Robert Payne in Richmond, if not overturned, would allow dealers to sell handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds. In his 71-page ruling, Payne wrote that many of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are granted at the age of 18, including the right to vote, enlist in the military without parental permission and serve on a federal jury.…