Law Times

PAGE 16 November 22, 2010 • Law Times Bizarre Seamless practice management and accounting software. www.doprocess.com ntitled-1 1 The KPMG BUYS LEDJIT KPMG LLP has acquired Ca- nadian electronic discovery and information management com- pany Ledjit Consulting Inc. Bill Thomas, KPMG's CEO and senior partner, said the deal would complement the firm's ex- isting e-discovery services. "The addition of Ledjit pro- fessionals and their e-discovery skills positions KPMG as a leading adviser to corporations and law firms on how to pro- actively manage records from creation to destruction and in the course of litigation and in- vestigation," he said. Dominic Jaar, Ledjit's for- mer president, becomes an as- sociate partner at KPMG. He said he looks forward to helping corporations bridge the gap be- tween their legal and informa- tion technology teams. FIRM SETS UP VIETNAM OFFICE Harvey Law Group Inc. LLP has continued its international expansion by opening an office in Ho Chi Minh City. The 18-year-old Montreal- based firm claims to be the first Canadian law firm registered and recognized by Vietnam's ministry of justice. "Establishment of a full- fledged operation in Vietnam is indicative of Harvey Law Group's enduring commitment to this region and assurance of better fa- cilitation for its customers around the world," said founding partner Jean-François Harvey. NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDIAN SCHOOL India's Jindal Global Law School has signed agreements with two of its Ontario counterparts. The Queen's University Fac- ulty of Law has established an exchange program with the New Delhi-based school involving up to three full-time students between them each year, while Osgoode Hall Law School has signed a memorandum of under- standing to collaborate on educa- tional and research projects. "As India's economic growth [ Untitled-5 1 11/17/10 9:19:35 AM Inside Story continues to boom, Jindal is aiming high to become India's first global law school of inter- national rank. It is an impressive initiative and I am proud that Queen's law is among the first law schools in the world to part- ner with Jindal," said Queen's law dean Bill Flanagan. PROFS SLAM REFUGEE BILL A panel of refugee law experts has denounced the federal gov- ernment's response to human smuggling. Speaking during an event at York University's Centre for Refugee Studies, Sean Rehaag, an assistant professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, criticized the recent bill introduced to tackle human smuggling. "The bill is unconstitutional, it violates international refugee law, and it is, frankly, mean-spirited," he said. The government introduced the bill after the arrival in British Columbia earlier this year of 500 Tamil asylum seekers on a ship from Sri Lanka. The legislation contemplates a mandatory one-year detention for designated asylum seekers without the possibility of review while provisions for those using human smugglers to get into the country impose a minimum five- year ban on permanent residence and reuniting with family. James Milner, assistant pro- fessor of political science at Car- leton University, said the bill is a disproportionate response, especially in light of the impor- tant role Canada has historically played in encouraging countries to keep their borders open to asylum seekers. "Canada would lose signifi- cant political capital and credi- bility with countries in the global south if it introduced restrictive laws and measures in response to the arrival of less than 500 asy- lum seekers, while encouraging countries like Thailand to re- spond more generously to much larger groups," he said. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. ROBBER STABS HIMSELF OTTAWA, Ont. — An Ot- tawa man almost committed a perfect crime when he was on the verge of making a success- ful escape after allegedly rob- bing a store at about 9 a.m. He might have gotten away with it if he didn't trip while leaving the store and, as a result, stabbing himself with his own knife. Still, the getaway is the most impor- tant part of a robbery and, as CBC News reported, the man managed to get another 1.5 kilometres away on foot. According to CBC News, the man, who is in his early 20s, is in critical condition in an Ottawa hospital where he is also under arrest for unspec- ified charges. THIEVES TAKE VICTIM'S CAR TO SCHOOL BOISE, Idaho — Was it a robbery or a valet service? One chilly Idaho morning, Tyler Scoggins did something all of us cold-climate dwellers do: he started his car. Intend- ing to let it run for a few mo- ments before driving to school, Scoggins went inside to get his books. When he went back outside, his car was gone. After filing a police report to declare his car stolen, his mom drove him to school. When they arrived at the Boi- se State University campus, Scoggins had a lovely surprise waiting for him. Briefs By Viola James As KTVB reported, police had found Scoggins' car and arrested the two men inside. When he arrived, the car was parked in the lot at school waiting for him. The thieves even had the good sense to get a great parking spot. "It was actually parked right next to my next class," Scog- gins told KTVB. "So I just put a couple quarters in the park- ing meter and went to class." INMATE TORTURED BY MOVIE SELECTION BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — James Poulin has been in the Brevard County Deten- tion Centre in Florida for al- most four years. It's not an easy life. But rather than decry bad food and cramped quarters, his lat- est complaint relates to the entertainment on offer. He has seen movies like Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and Pearl Har- bor more than 100 times each. He's now likening this cin- ematic repetition to Chinese water torture. Poulin, in fact, took the time to write to Florida To- day to expose the torturous conditions he and other in- mates have had to endure. According to the publication, Poulin claims the "inescapable sounds of these movies over and over works on the nerves and psyche." But the jail's administrator, Cmdr. Susan Jeter, explained WORRIED MOM'S CALL LANDS SON IN JAIL TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey native is facing a seven- year prison sentence despite being a responsible gun owner. The man was caught with his guns lawfully stored after his mother called police to alert them to her son's unusual behaviour. According to reason.com, Brian Aitken had endured a tough divorce and custody battle before moving across the country to New Jersey from Colorado in order to be closer to his son. All of that would take a toll on anyone, and Aitken was no exception. He was often sad and not his usual self. So his mother called 911, as she was taught to, fearing her son might hurt himself. As the phone rang, she changed her mind and hung up the phone, but the police responded anyway. When Aitken got home, the cops found his handgun collec- tion locked, unloaded, and in the trunk as specified by gun laws. So why did he spend his 27th birthday behind bars? Firearms laws in New Jersey are slightly different from those in Colorado. While having a permit is enough in Colorado, in New Jersey people also need a carry per- mit to be in possession of a firearm. Thanks, mom. LT that watching the movies is a voluntary activity. "They can go to their cells and read a book if they so choose," she said. Poulin has brought six fed- eral lawsuits against the jail, all of which have been dis- missed. ". . . 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