Law Times

PAGE 20 June 28, 2010 • Law Times Bizarre Seamless practice management and accounting software. ntitled-3 1 www.doprocess.com The BLAKES BOOSTS TAX GROUP Edwin Kroft and Deborah Toaze are the newest partners with Blake Cassels & Gray- don LLP's tax controversy and litigation group, the firm said last week. Kroft, a prominent tax lawyer who has appeared before the Su- preme Court of Canada, is also a member of the rules commit- tee of the Tax Court of Canada. He has also written extensively in the area and taught at Osgoode Hall Law School. Toaze is a lawyer and char- tered accountant who works with clients in the audit and ap- peals stages of tax disputes. "Having Ed and Deborah join our tax controversy and litigation group is a welcome addition for Blakes," said firm chairman Brock Gibson. "They will complement and enhance our renowned transfer pricing practice." FEDS ANNOUNCE NEW APPOINTMENTS The federal Courts Administra- tion Service has a new interim chief administrator. Suzanne Labbé has a licence in civil law and has served as deputy chief administrator for judicial services for the past five years. In other federal appoint- ments, Susheel Gupta becomes vice chairman of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Gup- ta has worked as a prosecutor and computer crime adviser as well as a special adviser to the Ca- nadian Air Transport Security Authority. He was also counsel with the crimes against human- ity and war crimes section at the Department of Justice. In addition, Canada has a new ombudsman for victims of crime in Sue O'Sullivan. For the past four years, O'Sullivan has served as deputy chief of police in Ottawa. Her appointment is effective as of Aug. 16. NEW PARTNER AT OGILVYS Ogilvy Renault LLP has an- nounced that Evan Howard [ Untitled-3 1 6/22/10 3:13:17 PM Inside Story has joined the firm as a partner in the employment and labour group in Toronto. With 15 years of experience in pension and benefits law behind him, Howard regularly advises on domestic and international corporate transactions, mergers, financings, insolvencies, and re- structurings. He also spent two years in Britain practising pen- sion law with a major London- based firm. SOLURSH RECEIVES OBA PENSION HONOUR The Ontario Bar Associa- tion has named John Solursh of Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP the recipient of its Award of Excellence in Pensions and Benefits Law. The award is in recognition of Solursh's career and his contribu- tions to the development of pen- sion law in Canada. Solursh, a partner emeritus in the pension and employee benefits group, has also served as Blakes' manag- ing partner in the past. COMMISSION ON LEGAL AID LAUNCHED A coalition of legal bodies has launched its own public com- mission on legal aid in British Columbia. Groups including the Law So- ciety of British Columbia, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Law Foundation of British Columbia have pooled funds to launch the project that aims to address the erosion of access to legal services in the province after funding cuts in recent years. Proceedings will begin in September to hear the problems people face and gather ideas for solutions. The commission will deliver its findings to the B.C government. "Unless government hears that the people of British Colum- bia consider legal aid a priority, it is unlikely that the difficulties which legal aid programs have faced over the last two decades are going to change," said James Bond, president of the CBA's B.C. branch. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. LegalSTEPS® "Surrender, earthlings! Resistance is futile! For we are a limited liability partnership!! . . Ha Ha Ha! . . . Mahahahaaa! . . . HA HA HA HA HA!!!" – the conveyancing application designed by you. ] Extensive consultation and testing with real estate law firms have led to an application that streamlines real estate transactions in a logical and intuitive manner. Easily complete real estate documents and order title insurance from one flexible, customizable application. Contact us to book a demo: 1-888-667-5151 www.stewart.ca/legalsteps www.lawtimesnews.com 3/2/10 10:29:50 AM Powered by: WOMAN WANTED TO TEACH A LESSON CARLISLE, U.K. — A 22-year-old woman has learned the hard way that authorities don't view the fabrication of a sexual assault very lightly. Leyla Ibrahim was enjoying a night out on the town with some friends. At the end of the evening, she asked a male friend for some money so she could take a cab home. He refused, and she was forced to walk. Clearly, this is one woman who doesn't walk for anyone. After deciding she "wanted to teach people a lesson," Ibra- him proceeded to rip and tear her dress, as well as her under- wear, partially exposing her breasts. She then cut out sev- eral clumps of her hair, gave herself a black eye, broke her own cheekbone, scratched her breasts and legs, and left one of her shoes — and presumably her self-respect — at the scene of the supposed attack. Keep in mind that this was all because she had to walk home. After receiving X-rays and treatment for her injuries, Ibra- him told detectives she had been knocked down by two youths while she was walking home. She claimed they had violently sexually assaulted her, and when she reached for a pair of scissors in her purse, one of the youths grabbed them and cut off a clump of her hair. More than 40 police officers Briefs By Viola James took part in the investiga- tion, eventually arresting four students who lived in the area. They were jailed for three days and subjected to more than 60 hours of ques- tioning. Eventually, detectives be- came suspicious of Ibrahim, and upon discovering that her injuries were inconsistent with an attack, she was arrested. In court, she wept openly as the judge told her to expect a prison term "of some length." TALK ABOUT WORLD CUP CRAZY JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The World Cup can make people act out of the or- dinary, but that's apparently nothing compared to those whose religious programming is disrupted by the tournament. According to police, David Makoeya, 61, wanted to watch a match between Germany and Australia. He tried to con- vince his wife and two sons to change the channel, but they objected because they wanted to watch a gospel show. "He said, 'No, I want to watch soccer,'" said po- lice spokesman Mothemane Malefo. "That is when the argument came about. In that argument, they started assaulting him." After being refused the re- mote control, Makoeya stood up and went to change the channel by hand, according to The Associated Press. Before he could put the game on, he was allegedly attacked by his 68-year-old wife and his two sons, aged 36 and 23. "It appears they banged his head against the wall," said Malefo. "They phoned the police only after he was badly injured, but by the time police arrived, the man was already dead." THIS GUY'S GOOSE IS COOKED COVENTRY, U.K. — An un- employed man who tortured and killed a Canada goose in the middle of a busy park will be living a fowl existence for the next six months. Barry Sinfield, 36, was en- joying a productive day in Cov- entry's Swanswell Park with a friend in October, according to the Daily Mail. They had consumed approximately 20 cans of beer and were horsing around when Sinfield noticed a lone goose. As onlookers watched in horror, Sinfield approached the bird and grabbed it by the neck before throwing it up in the air. When it hit the ground, he be- gan to kick it repeatedly while it desperately tried to escape. "The goose was trying to get away," said 16-year-old Char- lotte White, who witnessed the attack. "The man was stamping on the goose's neck." Sinfield, who witnesses say was laughing, eventually ripped the bird's head off and began to chase his friend around the park with it. He also pointed it at strangers and threatened to smear blood on them. Sinfield was sentenced to 25 weeks in prison and has been banned from keeping any ani- mals for the rest of his life. LT

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