Law Times

May 30, 2011

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PAGE 16 The Inside Story OTTAWA JUDGE MOURNED Justice Richard Lajoie of the Ontario Court of Justice died on May 18 at the age of 62 af- ter an illness. Lajoie joined the bench in Timmins, Ont., in 1987 but spent the last eight years as a judge in Ottawa, where he had practised early in his career af- ter his call to the bar in 1974. "He was a wonderful, con- genial, calm presence, a very steady, compassionate man who was just a wonderful friend and person to share chambers with," Justice Judith Beaman, region- al senior judge for the east re- gion, told the Ottawa Citizen. Lajoie's October 2010 judg- ment in the Stacy Bonds case made headlines after he de- scribed her treatment in a po- lice cell as a "travesty." In stay- ing proceedings against Bonds, his ruling sparked a public de- bate on abuse by police. EXECS JAM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Bay Street business executive band Men in Suits is perform- ing at Toronto's Orbit Room in aid of Human Rights Watch. Th e Rock For Rights gig takes place on June 2 at 580A College St. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the fi rst set to start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and will be on sale at the door. Th ey're also available in advance by contacting Alison Th ornton at 416-322-8448 or thornta@hrw.org. SUSPENDED LAWYER SOUGHT HRTO REMEDY A Mississauga, Ont., lawyer who claimed the Law Society of Upper Canada harassed and discriminated against him has been suspended for two months after a panel found he had failed to serve two clients in wrongful dismissal litigation. A panel found Ravinder Sawhney spent "unnecessary and excessive" amounts of time on preparation and charged fees that were "not fair or reason- able" to the two clients. Sawhney, a lawyer of South Asian descent, told Law Times he never intended his clients would pay the fees but antici- pated the employer in the case would pick up the bill. He had earlier attempted to halt proceedings with an interim remedy motion at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario in which he alleged the law so- ciety had failed to investigate white lawyers on the other side of the case at the heart of his troubles. Th e panel also ordered Sawhney to pay $27,000 in law society costs within 24 months, although that could increase to $33,000 if he fails to comply with other terms imposed on him. Th ey include a require- ment that he participate in the law society's practice review program, join the Ontario Bar Association's civil law section until at least the end of 2013, and report back on his partici- pation there. He must also at- tend the law society's solo and small fi rm conference in June. NEW PARTNERS AT TORYS Andrew Wong and Tara Mac- kay are the newest partners at Torys LLP. Wong's tax practice focuses on issues related to domestic, cross-border and international fi nance, securitization, and mergers and acquisitions. He advises a variety of compa- nies in the fi nancial services, media, technology, industrial, and resource sectors. Mackay's corporate-com- mercial practice has a particular emphasis on public-private part- nerships and alternative fi nanc- ing and procurement projects. She represents public authori- ties, private-sector proponents, construction contractors, ser- vice providers, and lenders in the implementation of public infrastructure projects. JUDGE HONOURED BY WINDSOR SCHOOL Th e University of Windsor has announced that it will award an honorary doctor of civil laws degree to Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Robert Sharpe during its spring convocation ceremony on June 17. Sharpe has served on the appeal court bench since 1999 after four years as a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice. Before that, Sharpe was dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law between 1990 and 1995. For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. TOWNS SEEK BROWNIE BAN BOSTON — Two towns in the state of Massachusetts are moving to ban sales of a "relaxation" brownie named Lazy Cakes, laced with me- latonin and sold in food mar- kets, after children who ate them required hospitaliza- tion. Th e mellowing chocolate treats, which sell for $3 to $5 at food stores and some night- clubs, are legal but contain nearly eight milligrams of the supplemental sleep aid, which is about 25 times the usual amount prescribed for adults. Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the body. Standard doses in the United States, where it is avail- able over the counter, and in Europe, where a prescription is typically required, range from 0.3 to three milligrams. Considered a dietary sup- plement rather than a drug, melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Adminis- tration. Doctors say an adult dosage could be dangerous to a child, eff ectively acting as a strong drug akin to Va- lium that can cause extreme drowsiness. In the Massachusetts cities of New Bedford and nearby Fall River, eff orts are underway to ban their sales, largely because of their appeal to children. Th e May 30, 2011 • Law TiMes Bizarre Briefs By Viola James purple packaging features Lazy Larry, a cartoonish brownie with a big grin on its face. New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang said he supports a state- wide ban, at least until such products are federally regu- lated. "It's clear to me that a young child would fi nd it at- tractive and tasty, and it's got chemicals in it that aren't ap- propriate for kids," Lang said. Baked World/HBB, the maker of Lazy Cakes, says it clearly labels each brownie to show it advises consumption by adults only. "We encourage stores to place these products alongside the energy shots or with other dietary supple- ments that are also produced for adults," chief executive Terry Harris said. — Reuters TRIO JAILED FOR EXHUMING PRESIDENT NICOSIA, Cyprus — A court in Cyprus has jailed three men for up to 20 months for snatching the remains of late Cypriot president Tassos Pa- padopoulos from his grave. Th e defendants, two Greek Cypriot brothers and an Indi- an national, were found guilty of illegal entry into a burial ground and exhuming a body in a crime that shocked the east Mediterranean island. Papadopoulos' grave was opened and his body snatched in late 2009 and hidden at an- other cemetery in suburban Nicosia, the island's capital. Th e court ruled one of the defendants had asked his brother to dig up the remains, hoping he could negotiate his own release from prison where he is serving two life sentences for murder. Police discovered the corpse three months later when the Indian defendant contacted Papadopoulos' family asking for money and saying he felt remorse. He was jailed for a total of 18 months and the Greek Cypriot brothers for 20 months each. Under Cypriot law, violat- ing a grave — a crime virtually unheard of until the Papado- poulos incident — is consid- ered a misdemeanour. — Reuters A MEAL OF HUMAN LIVER AND POTATOES MOSCOW — Russian police say they have detained a man who was caught eating an ac- quaintance's liver. Police tracked down the suspect after a trail of severed body parts including limbs and a head were found across Moscow. "When the police came to arrest the suspect, he was eat- ing a human liver with po- tatoes," said a police spokes- woman for Moscow's western district. Th e rest of the human liver was found in a refrigerator in the suspect's fl at. Th e police spokeswoman said the cause of the acquaintance's death was not clear. — Reuters LT "You may indeed be an expert mighty hunter but, unfortunately for you, I happen to be a certifi ed specialist." www.lawtimesnews.com

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