Law Times

Law TiMes • March 16, 2009 Two Ontario lawyers who talk the talk NEWS BY TIM NAUMETZ For Law Times OTTAWA — There's a catch if you try to get quick legal ad- vice on the Internet — it usually costs money. But two Ontario lawyers are prominent law professors and Bencher Tom Conway, a partner with McCarthy Tétrault LLP in the national capital. "We interview them, we agree offering up either informal ad- vice or legal information for free the old-fashioned way — on radio or TV. Ottawa lawyer Luc Barrick with them on a topic of conver- sation that may be of interest to our listeners, and we try not to make it too complicated and very topical," says Barrick, a partner at Barrick Domey Tannis LLP. "It's our job as hosts to try hosts a half-hour weekly show on CHIN Radio, while Toronto counsel Lorne Honickman con- tinues to host what he describes as the longest-running legal show on television in Canada. Both of them exude enthusi- asm as they describe their off- hour broadcasting excursions to Law Times. Barrick, who had another life to keep it understandable by the public. I don't want it to be too technical to the point you're listening in to, basically, a class. At the same time, we don't want to dumb it down too much. My role model, if you like, I'm not saying we achieve the same level of experience, is Mr. Steve Paikin (TVO)." Immigration has been a in politics and the public service between his 1997 articling days and his bar admission in 2001, says his Wednesday noon ap- pearances are a perfect fit for the multicultural CHIN station. Originally, the station sought him out for a call-in program, where he might hand out legal ad- vice à la the quasi-psychology dis- pensed in the old Frasier sitcom. "It was supposed to be like when you do a show where you're helping people, you're not go- ing to solve their legal problem on the air," says Honickman, a partner at McCabe Peacock Borlack McIn- nis & Lloyd LLP. "My show is an "You realize that Law Times. "What we do on these shows is we highlight a lot of the issues." He sums the pro- Luc Barrick hour; I will say at least five to six times during that show, 'You must get your own independent legal advice,'" Honickman tells payment to his former wife, but he no longer has the finan- cial ability to pay the required amount. gram style up with an example of a divorced man who calls up saying a court order requires him to pay a specific monthly on his program would generally describe how the man could obtain court approval to change the amount, but Honickman would then tell the caller "the first thing you're going to have to do is sit down with another lawyer, or go get yourself a lawyer, so he or she can look through all that." "Nobody can ever say, 'Jeez He says a family law expert I was listening to Honickman and he told me "don't worry about it."'" LT common topic on the show for CHIN, which Barrick says has time slots for 22 different lan- guages, the major ones being Italian, Arabic, and Chinese. Barrick and Johnson's "Legal Talk" helps fulfil CHIN's CRTC- required programming time in English as a common language. Barrick, who won a federal that, people would call in and just ask every question under the sun," says Barrick, who ran unsuccessfully for the defunct Progressive Conservative party in one of his past lives. "I told them I had some diffi- culties with that for two reasons: I don't profess to be an expert in every area of the law, which obviously I'm not, and I'm con- cerned about the liability issue, not just for myself but for the radio station." Barrick, along with co-host post last year as a part-time member of the Canada Pen- sion Plan review tribunal for the Ottawa region, jokes about a sacrificial-lamb campaign he mounted as the PC candidate in Ottawa-Vanier riding in 1997. The district has been Liberal since Confederation. He asked his articling super- Charges dropped against cops C BY ROBERT TODD Law Times been dropped. Prominent British Columbia lawyer Richard harges against two Toronto police officers accused of assaulting a Crown lawyer in Toronto's club district have Peck took over the case as special prosecutor for the Crown after it gained media attention earlier this year. Peck asked for the charges to be with- drawn after concluding there is no reasonable prospect of Constables Gail Shields and Paul Clarke being found guilty of assaulting Crown lawyer Roger Shallow in October 2007. Causing a disturbance and assault to resist visor if they had to discuss his future at the firm should he win. After he told the firm where he was running, senior lawyers re- plied: "We'll see you in a couple of months." Honickman, who also had Andrea Johnson, a partner at the Ottawa office of Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, instead conducts interviews with local legal and occasionally political figures. He has featured Ottawa Mayor Lawrence O'Brien as well as Vern Krishna, former treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Other guests have included a colourful pre-law career cov- ering the courts as a television broadcaster, decided to put that experience to use in his CP24 cable show Legal Briefs. Unlike Barrick, Honickman delves into the potentially risky world of on-screen legal advice to the audience, though the show generally touches on "whatever the big legal issue is of the day." Presented by Enroll Today! MINING TAXATION FORUM April 3 | Vancouver MAJOR BUSINESS AGREEMENTS April 23 – 24 | Ottawa April 27 – 28 | Halifax FINANCIAL RESHAPING April 27 | Toronto CANADIAN SECURITIES REGULATION COURSE May 5 – 6 | Vancouver MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS May 5 – 6 | Toronto ABORIGINAL CONSULTATION May 6 – 7 | Toronto ONTARIO POWER SUMMIT May 25 – 26 | Toronto CHRONIC AND COMPLEX CARE May 25 – 26 | Vancouver ABORIGINAL LAW May 26 – 27 | Vancouver PARAJURISTES May 26 – 27 | Montréal HEALTHCARE FINANCE & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT May 27 – 28 | Chicago DRUG PATENTS May 28 – 29 | Toronto COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL LITIGATION May 28 – 29 | Toronto ABS 2009 May 31 – June 2 | Banff For more information call 1 888 777-1707 or visit www.insightinfo.com Media Partner Send resumes to kharris1@gov.nu.ca LegalServices_LT_Mar13_09.indd 1 ntitled-1 1 3/10/09 12:25:46 PM www.lawtimesnews.com 3/11/09 3:05:53 PM Criminal Lawyer and Family Lawyer Aboriginal – Criminal – Family Salary 75k to 115k annually Appl due date April 30 2009 arrest charges against Shallow, stemming from the same incident, were dropped in January upon the recommendation of special prosecu- tor Jeanine LeRoy of London, Ont. Shallow had successfully argued for a jus- tice of the peace to approve the laying of the charges against the officers. The officers' lawyer, David Butt, said it was a long road to the conclusion of the case, as it began last April. He suggested that police offi- cers deal with a larger burden than members of the public when facing criminal charges. "But the decision that there's no reasonable prospect for conviction, effectively means that these charges are not now viable and they never were viable," he says. "The important point is that my clients have had these non-viable charges hanging over their heads for almost a year, and that's a very difficult situation to be put in when they did nothing wrong." Shallow, who is black, also is pursuing a complaint at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. He filed an application in October 2008 that, among other things, alleges he was improperly strip-searched and would have been treated differently if his skin colour were the same as one of the arresting officers. LT PAGE 5 Legal Services Board of Nunavut Description P.O. Box 125, Gjoa Haven, NU X0B1J0 The Legal Services Board of Nunavut is seeking staff Lawyers in criminal, family and poverty practice areas. Working from one of three law centres in Nunavut, staff lawyers typically carry a heavy case load and practice in a cross cultural setting. Court room experience is required as is an ability to work independently. A number of the communities are serviced by court circuits; therefore some travel within Nunavut is required. The Board offers a competitive salary plus relocation and vacation travel assistance. Staff lawyers also attend an expense paid annual law related conference. The minimum term of employment is two years. If you have a passion for access to justice and an adventurous outlook you should seriously consider contacting us to discuss the practice opportunities in Canada's far north. The positions require membership in the Law Society of Nunavut. About the Board The Legal Services Board of Nunavut provides legal aid to eligible residents of Nunavut. Located in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, 15 staff lawyers are busy with court circuits, family and poverty matters as well as providing public legal education. The Board headquarters is located in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. "The work environment is fast paced and the high volume of fi les presents opportunities for expanding your skill set."

• Cover
• Queen Of Smiles
• Identity Theft
• Focus On Litigation