Charkaoui Decision a Major Victory for CBA

The CBA welcomed the Feb. 23 Supreme Court of Canada decision in Charkaoui v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) that says the government can do more to protect individuals detained under security certificates.

“While it recognized that the government must keep certain information confidential in the security certificate process, the court says the government must consider alternative measures to ensure a fair hearing,” says Lorne Waldman of Toronto, who acted as legal counsel in the CBA’s intervention in this case.

The CBA argued that special counsel – who would review secret evidence and advocate on behalf of a detained person – would be an appropriate alternative. The court agreed with this argument.

News Release >>> www.cba.org/CBA/News/2007_Releases/2007-02-23_charkaoui.aspx

CBA Launches Class Action Database

At the click of a mouse, CBA members and the public can access a database of class action suits filed in Canada that are sent to CBA by counsel. To date, close to three dozen class actions are listed on the site, lawsuits that were launched between 2003 and 2007 (the number keeps growing!).

The database aims to meet the needs of the public, counsel and judges for information on class actions. Once posted, a class action proceeding will remain on the database unless dismissed as a class action by the court.

National Class Action Database >>> www.cba.org/classactions/main/gate/index/

Many CBA Concerns Met in Senate Committee Report on Anti-terrorism Act

The report of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act, released on Feb. 23, echoed many of the concerns and recommendations made by the CBA in its 2005 submission.

CBA 2005 submission to Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act >>> www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/05-28-eng.pdf

CBA Urges Caution in Expanding DNA Data Bank (Bill C-18)

In a letter to the Commons Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the CBA’s National Criminal Justice Section says that further amendments or expansion of the DNA data bank should only occur following the long overdue five-year review of the legislation.

Letter Commons Justice and Human Rights Committee >>> www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/07-10-eng.pdf

Canadian Corporate Counsel Association’s National Spring Conference

The theme of this year’s CCCA spring conference is Leading Corporate Counsel: The Critical Path to Excellence. The conference will cover a broad range of topics including privacy, pensions and benefits, crisis management, consumer contracts, competition law, and the latest developments in HR, executive compensation, directors and officer’s liability, and securities disclosure and compliance.

Where: Toronto, ON
When: April 22-24, 2007

Agenda, registration and hotel information >>> www.cancorpcounsel.org/EN/Education/Education/Spring_Conference.aspx

Calgary: Heart of the New West

Cosmopolitan, vibrant Calgary is the perfect backdrop for the 2007 Canadian Legal Conference, August 12-14, which is complemented by a full slate of unique Continuing Legal Education programs, social activities and networking opportunities.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Boston University professor Elie Wiesel delivers the opening keynote speech. Wiesel’s personal experience of the Holocaust has led him to use his talents as an author, teacher and storyteller to defend human rights and peace throughout the world.

Preston Manning (former leader of the Opposition) and The Hon. Peter Lougheed (former Premier of Alberta) will offer up amusing and thought-provoking discussion as breakfast speakers. Some two dozen educational programs aimed at a wide variety of legal specialities plus targeted programs for corporate counsel are on the agenda. Other feature speakers include Justice John Gomery, and author and visionary Leonard Brody will deliver the closing address.

Juno Award winner Jann Arden will rock the TELUS Centre and entertain attendees with her quirky, catchy melodies and her emotionally evocative voice.

Online brochure, registration forms >>> www.cba.org/CBA/calgary2007/main/

Continuing Legal Education – Spring 2007

CBA National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Summit: Energy and the Environment
April 27-28, 2007, Montreal

This one-and-a-half day program is designed to provide private practitioners, in-house corporate and government counsel, regulators, local government representatives and other professionals with an annual update on the hottest issues in the environment, energy and resources law field and unprecedented access to leading experts. This year’s theme is energy supply and transmission issues and topics include new electricity transmission routes, nuclear energy comeback, and wind energy.

>>> www.cba.org/cba/cle/cle00/env_07.aspx

These articles were published in the April 2007 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2007, all rights reserved.