Law Times

Page 16 February 29, 2016 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com SETTING THE BAR The Canadian Bar Association has announced its roster of 2016 award winners. Awards recognize members who advance the cause of equality in the LGBQT com- munities, demonstrate strong par- ticipation and exceptional service to the objectives and goals of the CBA, are young lawyers involved in pro bono legal services, and those who make outstanding contributions to the law or legal scholarship in Canada. Awards are also for outstanding contributions by a student member, for those who demonstrate outstanding dedication to the CBA and team spirit, and for those whose career exemplifies preeminent public service. The award winners are: University of Saskatchewan professor Beth Bilson, who won the Louis St. Laurent Award; University of Ottawa professor Jane Bailey, who won the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award; Public Service Alliance Canada senior legal counsel Lisa Ad- dario, who won the Touchstone Award; Mark Aitken of the North- west Territories/Yellowknife Department of Justice, who won the John Tait Award; O'Dea Earle Law Offices associate Kyle Reese, who won the Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award; University of Manitoba professor Roland Penner, who won the SOGIC Ally Award; Marie Laure Leclercq, counsel with De Grandpre Chait of Montreal, who won the SOGIC Hero Award; and University of Ottawa associate pro- fessor Adam Dodek, who won the 2015 Walter Owen Book Prize. LEGAL PODCAST TO LAUNCH MARCH 1 Lamenting that the legal podcast landscape is lacking, the folks at Counter Tax Lawyers are launching a monthly program to change that. The Building New Law podcast will be launched March 1, featuring interviews with lawyers, legal technologists, and like-minded people who are changing how the profes- sion practises law. Pippi Scott- Meuser, producer of the podcast, said the goal is to better connect the legal community and speed up the evolution of legal services. "Simply put, the podcast is a forum to talk about what is going on in the legal community to help push the discourse — and prog- ress — a little further," she said. March 1 will see four podcasts launched on iTunes, as well as Stitcher and Overcast. Firm law- yers Peter Aprile and Natalie Worsfold will be the co-hosts. A new podcast will then be released on the first Monday of each month thereafter. NEW NORTHERN DIGS FOR LAO Legal Aid Ontario is open- ing new offices to better cover Toronto's north district, includ- ing Etobicoke, North York, and Scarborough. The official open- ing will take place March 15 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 45 Sheppard Ave. East, located next to the North York Family Court House. LAO chair John McCamus, to- gether with Vicki Moretti, vice president of the GTA region, and Tom Kelsey, director general of Toronto North, will lead the grand opening ceremonies. Lawyers, legal professionals, and members of the community are invited to attend, but they are asked to register on the LAO web site to confirm attendance. LAW TIMES POLL The majority of our readers are unsympathetic to the plight of disbarred lawyer Harold Spring and disagree with the Federal Court's decision to allow another chance at a pardon. Last week, we asked our readers if they agree with Federal Court Justice Pat- rick Gleeson's decision to allow him another shot at a pardon for his criminal fraud convictions. Only 30 per cent of the respon- dents said yes, Spring deserves a second look for a pardon and that Justice Gleeson's determina- tion that the decision against him lacked "transparency and intelli- gibility" is important. On the other hand, 70 per cent said no, pardons should only be granted in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances and that the Parole Board of Canada's argument that the pardon might bring the administration of jus- tice into disrepute is fair and rea- sonable. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story Adam Dodek won the Canadian Bar Association's 2015 Walter Owen Book Prize. ANIMAL LOVERS GET INTO CATFIGHT AT ZOO PARTY LONDON, England — The Mail Online re- ports that a meerkat expert accused of hurting a monkey handler at a London Zoo Christmas party has been cleared of assault. The web site reports both meerkat expert Caroline Westlake and monkey handler Kate Sanders were both romantically involved with zookeeper Adam Davies, a llama keeper. The web site reports Davies dated Sanders for five years before he began dating Westlake. The web site reports Westlake was in a toilet cu- bicle at a December 2014 party when she over- heard remarks made by Sanders about West- lake's looks. The web site reports the two got into an ar- gument in a cloakroom at the party, and Sand- ers alleges that as she tried to leave, Westlake smashed a glass into her cheek. The web site reports that magistrates ruled in 2015 that Westlake did not act intentionally but was guilty of assault because of recklessness. Recently, the conviction was overturned and Westlake was acquitted, reports the web site. According to the Mail Online, Westlake's le- gal representative, Suzanne Kelly of Venters So- licitors, says her client's "life has been destroyed by something that was no more than an unfor- tunate accident." HITCH A RIDE, BUT NOT CARRYING DRUGS LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. — An Alabama deputy agreed to give a ride to someone who needed one, but the incident became an arrest when the man in need of the ride turned out to have drugs with him. Al.com reports that a deputy was filling his patrol car up with gas at a station recently and was asked by the clerk at the station if he'd share a ride with someone. Al.com reports that the deputy agreed, but he wanted to check the man's identification first. The driver's licence was cancelled, reports the web site. The deputy also wanted to search the man before he gave him a ride in the patrol car, and the man consented to the search. The deputy reported finding drugs in the man's pocket, backpack, and two duffel bags, the web site reports. This allegedly included meth- amphetamine, marijuana, black tar heroin, 18 needles, a cooking spoon, two marijuana smok- ing pipes, one meth smoking pipe, and a grinder. The web site reports that Alex Wiley Smith, 38, of Pounding Mill, Va., was arrested and charged with first-degree possession of marijuana, pos- session of a controlled substance, and drug traf- ficking. The drugs were turned over to county drug investigators. PARENTS OF THE YEAR POLK COUNTY, Wisc. — A Wisconsin couple allowed their nine-year-old daughter to drive them and their 11-month-old baby because they were too drunk to do so themselves, according to Polk County Circuit Court records. Jason Roth, 36, and Amanda Eggert, 32, pleaded not guilty to charges of recklessly en- dangering safety and neglecting a child, accord- ing to the online records. Last month, a sheriff 's deputy responded to a call about an erratic driver and found the couple and their children parked at a boat drop in Polk County, northeast of Minneapolis, according to a criminal complaint. The deputy arrested the couple when he learned that their nine-year-old daughter was driving them and their baby home in their pick- up truck because they were both intoxicated, according to the complaint from the county prosecutor's office. Eggert also faces several charges stemming from a fight she had with paramedics who ar- rived to help her with a cut on her hand suffered when she was snowmobiling earlier in the day, court records showed. LT "The Supreme Court may have broadened the scope for physician-assisted death but not to the extent of running Winston over because he spent the drug money on a smartphone."

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