The past year was an exciting one for the New Brunswick Branch of the WLF. Over the past five years, we have continued to build interest in the work of our Forum by offering excellent programming and this year was no exception with many interesting events and opportunities.

A new initiative is underway in Prince Edward Island that will hopefully have a lasting impact on the political landscape. Island women are being encouraged to explore their interest in politics and to develop plans to move forward with their political ambitions through a newly developed intensive training program taking place in the greater Charlottetown area.

On June 8, 2017, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Forum held its seventh annual Celebrating Success event in recognition of the achievements of women in the profession who have been appointed to the bench. The honourees celebrated at this year’s event were Justices Lore Mirwaldt and Candace Grammond.

A peer support program for new parents has been started by ASSIST – the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society. I recently interviewed Moira Vane, a federal prosecutor and mother of two, who had the idea for this program.

On June 2, 2017 the Honourable Madame Justice J. Dorgan will be retiring from the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Domestic violence is frequently seen as a criminal- or family law-related issue. The potential civil law implications for the victims of domestic violence are less often considered.

The federal government’s message about diversity as our strength, especially in relation to the thousands of refugees we welcomed to Canada in 2016, has increased national interest in diversity. Successive leaders have viewed Canada as a multicultural country comprising peoples from different cultures and ethnic groups. The government's policy vis-à-vis diversity and multiculturalism is sound. Yet, much more is needed to translate policy into action.

This article, which was initially published by the Ontario Bar Association, is being reprinted with the permission of both authors. It has been lightly edited for grammar, punctuation and style. Please see the original publication, or contact the authors, for the full list of references.

In October of 2016, the Minister of Justice announced key changes to the judicial appointment process. Following this announcement, and as the number of judicial vacancies increased across Canada, many wondered what the effect of these changes would be. Would the process be more open and transparent? To what extent would Canadians see themselves reflected in the appointees?

The Conservative Party leadership race has brought the debate over words like Islamophobia, racism and political correctness into sharp focus. The private member’s motion M-103, brought before the House of Commons by Liberal MP Iqra Khalid seeks to name and condemn Islamophobia and directs the Heritage Committee to undertake a study and develop a plan to address systemic racism and religious discrimination.