What Are Human Rights and What Can I Do to Enforce Them?

How the Pandemic has Brought These Issues to Light

During our brush with a global pandemic, we heard from various groups and their human rights.  Many complain that public health restrictions have been an infringement on their ‘human rights’.  Many of these groups have since filed cases in court to challenge these restrictions, although it is not clear yet that any court has ruled in their favour.

Some litigants in these cases conflate ‘human rights’ with Charter rights, the latter of which is constitutionally protected by law.  The Charter of Rights and Freedoms are restricted only to state-controlled entities, such as governments, public health departments and the police.  Further, each case is assessed by the Courts to determine if a law, an action, a public protection order (such as a lockdown or masking order) or process, infringes one’s rights. Read more… “What Are Human Rights and What Can I Do to Enforce Them?”

Workplace Bullying/Harassment: What Is It and What Can You Do?

 Introduction

If you are reading this, you might be wondering if what you are experiencing can be considered “workplace harassment” or “workplace bullying”. Most of us heard about it discussed in the news, reports of people getting charged with harassing somebody they worked with, or heard others complain about getting “harassed” at work. Maybe you are experiencing something at work or in your workplace that is bothering you, worrying you or creating a major sense of tension. First, let’s review what workplace harassment is.

What Workplace Harassment Is and What It Is Not Read more… “Workplace Bullying/Harassment: What Is It and What Can You Do?”

Your Driving Privilege in Ontario

Rights Versus Privilege

As a practitioner, I often attend overcrowded Provincial Offences Courts, where individuals are often charged with driving offences.  If you can get past the line-ups to the front, you can often speak to Prosecutor to arrange a deal.  At the same time, Justices of the Peace explode into a tirade about how driving a motor vehicle is a privilege and not a right.  Reviewing the dockets these days is an amazing test of stoicism.  Dockets show one person after the other charged with “driving while under suspension”, among other related charges.

If you plead guilty to driving while under suspension, the Ministry of Transportation tacks on a further six months of suspension on your license. Defenses for this charge are limited, as this offence is considered a “strict liability” offence.  That means in essence ‘you should known better’.  In theory, all of this makes sense, but in reality this whole concept needs a rethink. Read more… “Your Driving Privilege in Ontario”