Law Times

PAGE 16 WillBuilder Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com ntitled-7 1 The PROVINCE APPOINTS NEW JUDGES Five new judges were appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice effective Wednesday, including three in the Toronto region. Justice Leslie Chapin was deputy director of Crown op- erations in the Toronto region, providing advice to four differ- ent Crown offices. She was also counsel to the regional director of Crown operations and acting director of the Special Investiga- tions Unit. Justice Neil Kozloff, mean- while, recently led a team of law- yers representing the Ontario Provincial Police at the Corn- wall inquiry. The third new Toronto judge, Justice Diane Oleskiw, was pre- viously a criminal lawyer who was active in legal initiatives at children's centres, women's cen- tres, rape crisis centres, and new immigration programs. In the northwest region, the province appointed Justice Joyce Susan Elder to preside in Thunder Bay. Elder was a sole practitioner and panel member for the Office of the Children's Lawyer as well as a settlement conference facilitator for Legal Aid Ontario. gion, Justice Steve Anthony Coroza preside in St. And in the central west re- will Catharines. Coroza previously worked as a staff duty counsel for legal aid, was senior counsel to the Public Prosecution Ser- vice of Canada, and supervised more than 100 federal Crown agents in the province. WORKSHOP ON SETTING UP A NEW PRACTICE A new workshop taking place this month aims to give would- be entrepreneurs step-by-step directions on how to set up a new consulting or professional services firm. Mills & Mills LLP has teamed up with Oomph Group Inc., a specialist in con- ducting workshops for profes- sionals, to offer guidance on how to navigate the intricacies of setting up a practice. The full-day event will be held Reinventing the Will www 1/26/09 3:38:37 PM Inside Story at 401 Bay St. in Toronto on Dec. 9 and will provide expertise on es- tablishing a practice structure and legal framework, risk manage- ment systems, financial and man- agement structures, marketing and business development, and client and case management. For more information, visit oomphgroup.com/startingyour ownfirm. CBA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED The Canadian Bar Association announced a slate of recipients for its 2009 awards last week. Gail Asper is the winner of the CBA's President's Award for her contribution to public life in Canada. Roy McMurtry, formerly the province's chief justice and attorney general, won the Ra- mon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law for his overall contribu- tion to the field. As attorney general, McMurtry is credited with the country's first major family law reform, the cre- ation of a bilingual court system, and the foundation of a network of legal aid clinics. McMurtry was also award- ed the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference Ally Award for his promotion of equality and contribution to the legalization of same-sex marriage. The Hero Award was given to Kathleen Lahey, a Queen's Uni- versity law professor who served as counsel in some key same-sex marriage matters. Kim Pate of Ottawa won the Touchstone Award for promoting equality in the legal community. Tricia Kuhl is the winner of the Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award for community-oriented legal services. Kuhl, an associate with Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP in Montreal, provides legal assistance to programs aimed at tackling drug dependencies. And Scott Jolliffe is the re- cipient of the Louis St-Laurent Award of Excellence for distin- guished and exceptional service to the CBA. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "Oh ya!? Just 'cause you got the Supreme Court behind you doesn't impress me ... much." WHICH DIRECTION IS BEST FOR YOU? RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-7 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 5/29/08 1:05:49 PM SOME PEOPLE GO TOO FAR FOR BEAUTY LIMA, Peru — Police in Peru have arrested four people sus- pected in dozens of killings in or- der to harvest their victims' fat. According to the BBC, the liquid fat was fetching more than $15,000 per litre. The fat, along with tissue, is being used for cosmetic purposes in Europe. Media reports suggest there are at least five other suspects, two of whom are Italian nation- als, still being sought by police. There is an ancient Peruvian legend about killers who attack people on lonely roads and kill them for their fat. Police say the gang could be involved in the disappearances of up to 60 people in Peru's Huanuco and Pasco regions. The supposed ringleader of the gang has told police he has been involved in the practice of killing people for their fat for more than 30 years. SURE TO BE APPEALED NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee law allowing people to bring handguns into bars and restaurants has been struck down because of its ambiguity. Reuters reports Nashville Judge Claudia Bonnyman ruled in favour of a suit brought by restaurant owners saying the law was "fraught with ambigu- ity." The problem, however, is not the idea of armed people packing into places that serve alcohol; it was the equation ™ November 30, 2009 • Law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James needed to determine if the es- tablishment was a handgun- friendly zone. The law took effect in July. It allowed handgun owners with permits to take their weapons into places as long as more than half of the establishment's prof- its were from food. "We will have vigilantes shooting up bars all over," Randy Rayburn, the owner of three upscale cafés and a leading opponent of the law, told local media. Supporters were contemplat- ing a possible appeal or pushing for new legislation. WILL THERE STILL BE A COMMUNIST PARTY? BEIJING, China — A leg- islator from China wants to criminalize lavish public ban- quets because they are a waste of public money, according to state press. "Public spending on eat- ing and drinking is a waste of social assets," Zhao Lin- zhong, a delegate to the Na- tional People's Congress, told the Workers' Daily. "We need to criminalize this by law, so I proposed amend- ing the criminal law and intro- ducing the 'crime of wantonly squandering public funds.'" China spends more than $30 billion annually on public events. That is more money than the country spent on the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project. "Although I myself am a victim of this tradition, at the same time I help advance this tradition by hosting meals and accepting invitations," Zhao, who also heads a lead- ing Chinese textile company, told state media. "For many years, the Com- munist Party and government have issued a series of restric- tions, and regulations on win- ing and dining are more and more detailed and severe, but such lavish traditions have not been curbed." Media reports Zhao has sub- mitted a formal proposal to par- liament seeking debate on the amendment to the criminal law. TIME TO AMEND THE FIRST AMENDMENT GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Anti- Islamic messages on T-shirts are OK with the American Civil Liberties Union, or so it would seem after it launched a lawsuit to ensure students' rights to wear them. According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit claims the Ala- chua County School District violated students' rights by not letting them wear the T-shirts. Channeling Voltaire, the ACLU says it doesn't agree with the message on the T-shirts but will defend students' rights. The T-shirts are distrib- uted by the Dove World Out- reach Center and worn by area school children. But the ACLU says it supports the students' constitutional right to freedom of speech. Web-site photos show T- shirts emblazoned with the words "Islam is of the Devil." School authorities have called the messages disruptive and a violation of the dress code. LT

• Cover
• A Distinguished Career
• Collaborative Law
• Focus On Business of Law