Law Times

Page 20 June 12, 2017 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com HRTO TELLS LSUC TO DISCLOSE RECORDS The Law Society of Upper Canada must produce up to 10 documents and/or video footage to a black member of the society who alleges he was discriminated against by a security guard when he attempted to enter the LSUC building last July, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has ruled. In an interim decision in Pieters v. Law Society of Up- per Canada, Michael Gottheil, executive chairman of the HRTO, agreed with the appellant, Toron- to lawyer Selwyn Pieters, that a variety of documentation should be produced to him by Ontario's Law Society pertaining to his apprehension by a security guard when Pieters entered the Law Society building that day, the seizing of his membership card and Pieters' subsequent experience in the Law So- ciety building. In emailed comments, Pieters indicated that he was pleased with the interim decision. "The orders simply ref lect that in cases of personal and systemic anti-black racism, the request for similar fact and other evidence in the possession of the respondents are appropriate given the obstacles inherent in proving racial discrimination," Pieters said. In a written statement to Legal Feeds, Law Society CEO Robert Lapper said, "The Law Society does not comment upon matters which are before the Courts or administrative tribunals, as in this case. That said, the Law Society does not believe that there was any conscious or unconscious bias or discrimination by any employee of the Law Society, as suggested by the applicant." The hearing in the case is set to begin on July 20 in Toronto, with continuation on July 21. UN RECOGNIZES EQUALITY EFFECT An organization led by a To- ronto lawyer has received special recognition from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Dr. Fiona Sampson, CEO of the equality effect, is a lawyer and PhD with expertise in human rights law and wom- en's equality law, whose experi- ence has guided the develop- ment of the organization. The equality effect is a Canadian non-governmental organiza- tion based in Toronto. The UN recognition for best practices relates to the 160 Girls project, which works to achieve social justice for oppressed women and girls in Africa through use of the rule of law. SWARTZ WINS OBA AWARD Jay Swartz has been awarded the Ontario Bar Association's 2017 Murray Klein Award for Excellence in Insolvency Law. Swartz, of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, was honoured June 5 at a reception in Toronto. YES, I AGREE 45 % 55 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE LAW TIMES POLL A Law Times columnist says artificial intelligence is expected to have a profound impact on society, and it requires immedi- ate discussion about its use. We asked readers if they expect AI to be used in their practices in the next five years. Forty-five per cent said yes, technological innovation is moving faster than ever before, while 55 per cent said no, they can't see it factoring into their work that quickly. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has ordered the disclosure of LSUC records after lawyer Selwyn Pieters filed a complaint. ROBOCOP JOINS DUBAI POLICE DUBAI — A robotic police officer that can help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence has joined Dubai's police force and will patrol the city as part of a government program aimed at replacing some human crime fighters with machines, according to Reuters. If the "Robocop" experiment is successful, Dubai Police says it wants the unarmed robots to make up 25 per cent of its patrolling force by 2030. Clad in the colours of the Dubai Police uniform, the life-size robot, which can shake hands and perform a military salute, is the lighter side of a government plan to use tech- nology to improve services and security ahead of Dubai hosting Expo 2020. The first automated police officer in the Middle East, the robot on wheels is equipped with cameras and facial recognition software. It can compare faces with a police database and f lag matches to headquarters. It can read vehicle licence plates and its video feed can help police watch for risks such as unattended bags in popular areas of Dubai, a financial and tour- ism hub. Members of the public can also talk to the robot to report a crime or communicate with it using a touchscreen computer embedded in its chest. Built by Barcelona-based PAL Robotics and programed by Dubai Police, the cost of the robot has not been disclosed, says Reuters. MAIL CARRIER SUSPENDED FOR NAIL-SPIKED MEATBALLS BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama mail carrier has been suspended and charged with aggravated animal cruelty for allegedly feeding meatballs laced with nails to at least one dog on her route, reports Reuters. A joint investigation by the Madison Coun- ty Sheriff 's Office and the U.S. Postal Service revealed that Susanna Burhans, a 47-year-old USPS worker, targeted a dog in a residential neighbourhood in New Hope, Ala., about 150 kilometres north of Birmingham, said Postal Service spokeswoman Jeldrys Lowry. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General opened an investigation into the case last month after Burhans was reported to be throwing contaminated food at a dog. Officials have not given details on the con- dition of the dog, but WHNT News reported that its owner, Ed Glover, told the news station he found one of the nail-filled meatballs near the mailbox at his home and that when he took his dog, Missy, to a veterinarian, X-rays showed nails in its stomach. Burhans was arrested June 1 and released after posting US$2,500 bail, according to me- dia reports from AL.com. A veteran letter carrier, Burhans is currently on a non-duty status with the USPS, Lowry said. RUDE BRITANNIA: MAY EFFIGY GIVES EUROPE THE FINGER(S) DOVER, U.K. — A giant scaffold bearing the image of British Prime Minister Theresa May appeared on the cliffs of Dover on June 5, com- plete with a Union Flag skirt and a rude hand gesture indicating to the rest of Europe that it should go away, reports Reuters. The iconic row of white cliffs along Britain's south coast is the closest British landmark to continental Europe and the first sign of Eng- land that many sea-faring visitors see. But Dover voted by nearly two to one to leave the European Union in last year's referendum, with coastal towns in southeast England seeing some of the highest levels of immigration from the EU. The structure was erected with a crane but its origin is a mystery. LT "But I can't give you my password! And not because my mobile device contains privileged solicitor-client information but because it's a deodorant stick." Integrated Legal Marketing Solutions LawyerMarketingCanada.com/solutions Put Your Digital Marketing Tactics into High Gear Untitled-7 1 2017-06-06 1:14 PM

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