July 9, 2015
LawNow – Lorraine Snyder and Dustin Martin
Democratic Governance: The Constitution and Canada’s Branches of Government
The article is a good primer for legal lay people witnessing the current tensions between the PMO and the Supreme Court of Canada. What is the expected division according to the constitution for the branches of government and how should they properly interact. http://www.lawnow.org/democratic-governance-the-constitution-and-canadas-branches-of-government/?utm_source=LawNow+New+Issue+List&utm_campaign=db9bf66d78-July_August_20156_30_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cdb4ba82a5-db9bf66d78-117972565 Related article: LawNow – Hugo Vaillancourt The Supreme Court of Canada: A History http://www.lawnow.org/the-supreme-court-of-canada-a-history/?utm_source=LawNow+New+Issue+List&utm_campaign=db9bf66d78-July_August_20156_30_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cdb4ba82a5-db9bf66d78-117972565
National Post – John Ivison
25 recommendations in just-released terror report look a lot like the Tory re-election platform
Here’s a scary thought from Ivison: the interim report of the Senate on security and defence is remarkably close to the Conservation election platform. The interim report – the final expected in December – calls for the certification of Muslim Imams in anti-radicalism and for protection against “vexatious litigation.” http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/john-ivison-the-25-recommendations-in-just-released-terror-report-look-a-lot-like-the-tory-re-election-platform Related article: CBC News – Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press Senators want no-visit list to bar ‘ideological radicals’ from Canada – Senate committee report on terrorism includes recommendation to study certification of imams http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senators-want-no-visit-list-to-bar-ideological-radicals-from-canada-1.3143072 Related article: National Council of Canadian Muslims – Press release Senate report fails to offer concrete solutions for tackling terrorism http://www.nccm.ca/nccm-senate-report-fails-to-offer-concrete-solutions-for-tackling-terrorism/ Related report: Globe and Mail – Steven Chase Senate committee on terrorism suggests certifying imams http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/senate-committee-calls-for-more-anti-terror-measures-including-imam-certification/article25352935/ Related article: Ottawa Citizen – Chris Cobb Imams cool to Senate’s proposal to certify them http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/imams-cool-to-senates-proposal-to-certify-them (Ed Note: None of the reporting offered a link to the actual Senate report itself nor does the Senate web site.)
The Georgia Straight – Travis Lupick
Do Vancouver’s social-housing projects attract crime? It’s a question with a complicated answer
The city has an agreement with the province to open various types of affordable housing characterized by below market rents, units for disadvantaged youth and the availability of limited medical services. So far 11 of 14 such buildings are up and running and the Vancouver Police Department are recording what seems to be an excessive number of calls to these 11 buildings. But there seems to be a start-up factor that does not sustain itself over the long run. http://www.straight.com/news/484696/do-vancouvers-social-housing-projects-attract-crime-its-question-complicated-answer
Huffington Post (US) – Andrew Guthrie Ferguson
Predicting Predictive Policing in NYC
Ferguson anticipated the arrival of predictive policing over a year ago and asks six questions about the practice. In the approach, data on crime locations is entered and, in a ‘big data’ approach, the system generates the likely location for new crime. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-guthrie-ferguson/predicting-predictive-pol_b_7757200.html
CBC News – Laura Peyton
Election debate dates set by broadcasters without Conservatives
Could it be that we will see national platform debates for a national election without the participation of the party in power? The NDP, the Liberals, and the Greens have accepted the invitation but not the Conservatives. Media gurus are already speculating about the percentage of viewers the series will gather on Oct. 7 and 8 – competing events and time zone challenges are in the mix as well. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/election-debate-dates-set-by-broadcasters-without-conservatives-1.3145190 Related article: National Newswatch – Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press Federal Green party ‘stunned’ over snubs from election debate organizers http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2015/07/10/federal-green-party-stunned-over-snubs-from-election-debate-organizers/#.VZ–nPlQRUZ
Toronto Star – Wendy Gillis
‘Andrew survived war, and then had to be killed here’ – Until his death by police shooting, Andrew Loku suffered trauma from being a youth soldier in Sudan
The shooting of a former child soldier from the Sudan by Toronto police serves to remind us yet again of the potential for police intervention in mental health crisis to bring about tragic results. Apparently suffering from the trauma of child soldiering, Andrew Loku, a 45 year old father of five, was wielding a hammer and police were called, shots fired minutes after police arrived on scene. Protestors are calling for immersing in racial consideration the Iacobucci report of 2014 on police use of force. http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/07/09/andrew-survived-war-and-then-had-to-be-killed-here.html Toronto Star Editorial (July 8, 2015) Death of Andrew Loku underscores need for police restraint toward agitated people http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/07/08/death-of-andrew-loku-underscores-need-for-police-restraint-toward-agitated-people-editorial.html