Law Times

Page 16 August 20, 2018 • LAw times www.lawtimesnews.com u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story "It's a sand, downsized Toronto City Council. We got around the legal objections by reducing the size of the councillors instead of their number." PARISIENS PEEVED ABOUT PUBLIC URINALS PARIS — A new set of eco-friendly but com- pletely exposed urinals deployed on the streets of Paris are provoking uproar from locals, re- ports Reuters. One of the bright red "urinoirs" installed on the Ile Saint-Louis, not far from Notre Dame cathedral and overlooking tourist boats passing on the Seine, has caused particular indignation. Locals have written to the town hall to de- mand its removal and are planning a petition. "There's no need to put something so im- modest and ugly in such an historic spot," said Paola Pellizzari, 68, owner of a Venetian art store. "It's beside the most beautiful townhouse on the island, the Hotel de Lauzun, where Baude- laire lived," she said, referring to the 19th-centu- ry French poet. She feared the urinal, installed around 20 metres from a primary school, "incites exhibi- tionism." The designer of the "Uritrottoir" — a combination of the French words for urinal and pavement — said it offered an "eco solution to public peeing." The device is essentially a box with an opening in the front and a f loral display on top, containing straw, which transforms into compost for use in parks and gardens. Local mayor Ariel Weil insisted the devices were necessary, however. Paris authorities have rolled out four of the stand-up urinals in spots where public peeing has been a problem, and a fifth is planned. "If we don't do anything, then men are just going to pee in the streets," he said. "If it is re- ally bothering people, we will find another loca- tion." Some have even branded their installation discriminatory. "They have been installed on a sexist propo- sition: Men cannot control themselves (from the bladder point of view) and so all of society has to adapt," said Gwendoline Coipeault of French feminist group Femmes Solidaires. AUSTRALIANS SEEK FREE PHOTOS OF QUEEN SYDNEY — Australians by the dozen are de- manding portraits of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, after a news item drew attention to an obscure rule entitling them to such articles from local politicians, reports Reuters. Federal politicians in Australia, a consti- tutional monarchy whose head of state is the British monarch, are not obliged to hand out the pictures, but they can claim an allowance to provide them, as well as items such as f lags, at constituents' request. The allowance has existed since 1990, but it was little known or drawn on until reported by Vice News last week. "I can say before the story was published, I had received zero requests for portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," Tim Watts, an oppo- sition Labor Party politician representing parts of Melbourne, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. RAMEN NOODLE HEIST IN GEORGIA FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — Fayette County deputies are investigating a string of thefts that included five car break-ins, one stolen motor- cycle — and one high-dollar heist of Ramen Noodles, according to Fox 13 News. Nearly $100,000 worth of Ramen Noodles was sitting in a large trailer parked at a Chev- ron store on Georgia Highway 85 north before it went missing recently. Deputies said the 53-foot trailer carrying the noodle freight was stolen between July 25 and Aug. 1. The sheriff said the trailer was secured at the time. Police have not divulged any leads on the sto- len noodles and no arrests have been made, but maybe they should be on the lookout for hungry students . . . LT LAWYERS FILE COMPLAINT OVER SEX-ED CURRICULUM Two Toronto lawyers will be fil- ing a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on be- half of families who oppose the plan by the provincial govern- ment to change sexual education in schools across the province. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has indicated that the cur- riculum — which was updated by the provincial Liberal govern- ment in 2015 — will be scrapped and by September will revert to a 1998 version of a health and physical education curriculum. The lawyers are acting on behalf of more than six families who have LGBTQ children, says lawyer Marcus McCann, and the lead applicant is an 11-year-old transgender girl whose identity is being kept anonymous. "The 2015 curriculum requires teachers across the province to dis- cuss issues such as sexual consent, gay, bisexual and lesbian sexuality, gender expression and gender identity. "The exclusion of this content puts young people at risk," says Mc- Cann, a lawyer with Symes Street & Millard Barristers and So- licitors in Toronto. Mika Imai, an associate at the same firm, is acting with McCann on the matter and says the lawyers will be seeking to "have the matter heard on an expedited basis." REAL ESTATE LAWYERS JOIN GOWLING WLG Pamela Green and Sawsan Selwyn joined Gowling WLG's national real estate group in Hamilton, Ont., the firm an- nounced on Aug. 9. Green will be a partner and Selwyn will be an associate, the firm said. Selwyn represents sell- ers, purchasers, lenders, real estate developers, REITS and other real estate investors in commercial real estate transactions, accord- ing to Gowling's announcement. Green's practice includes land development and planning, real estate acquisition, disposition and financing, mortgage remedies, real estate disputes and general corporate commercial matters, the firm said. TLA EVENT The Toronto Lawyers Associ- ation is hosting an event on Oct. 17, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. The 8th Annual Current Topics in Ethics & Professionalism: Do Lawyers Have an Ethical Obliga- tion to Defend the Unpopular? features Saron Gebresellassi, owner and partner at Saron Legal PC, Carol Hansell, se- nior partner at Hansell LLP, Danielle Robitaille, partner at Henein Hutchison LLP, and Jaime Watt, executive chair- man of Navigator Ltd. It will be moderated by lawyer Philip Slayton. More informa- tion is available at tlaonline.ca. 69 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE YES, I AGREE 31 % LAW TIMES POLL The new Ontario provincial government introduced legis- lation last month to kill a major wind turbine project in Prince Edward County, revoking any contracts between the company and related parties, extinguish- ing any existing proceedings and preventing future proceed- ings against the Crown. Law Times asked readers whether they agreed with the move to axe the project. About 69 per cent of respondents disagreed with the termination of the project, saying it should contin- ue as planned. About 31 per cent of readers agreed with the new government's decision and that it was the right move to follow through swiftly on a campaign promise. LT Legal News at Your Fingertips Sign up for the Canadian Legal Newswire today for free and enjoy great content from the publishers of Canadian Lawyer, Law Times, Canadian Lawyer InHouse and Lexpert. Visit www.canadianlawyermag.com/newswire-subscribe THE LATEST NEWS THE BEST COMMENTARY DELIVERED WEEKLY FOR READING ON ANY DEVICE Untitled-1 1 2018-08-14 12:49 PM Marcus McCann says the province's plan to use the sexual education curriculum from 1998 and leave out certain content 'puts young people at risk.'

• Cover