The McGill Law Journal Podcast

This episode explores the constitutional battle surrounding Quebec's Bill 21 and its implications for religious freedom, gender equality, and minority rights. The discussion examines the tension between Section 28 of the Canadian Charter, which guarantees gender equality, and Section 33, the notwithstanding clause, which Quebec used to shield the law from certain Charter challenges. Featuring perspectives from Professor Vrinda Narain and Me Cee Strauss, the episode considers whether Section 28 can limit the use of Section 33 and what the Supreme Court of Canada's decision could mean for the future of equality rights and legislative power in Canada.

This McGill Law Journal podcast episode discusses the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in Canada, focusing on its exceptional nature and its impact on corporate governance and access to justice. Daniel Grodinsky, a commercial litigator, explains the criteria for lifting the corporate veil in Quebec, emphasizing the need to prove shareholders as alter egos, use of the corporation to mask wrongdoing, and the nature of the wrong committed. Douglas Sarro, a law professor, highlights the restrictive approach of Canadian courts, exemplified by the 2018 Chevron case, and suggests potential evolutions in corporate accountability through alternative theories. The conversation underscores the tension between certainty and justice in corporate law.

In this episode, MLJ Podcast Committee member Megan Campbell sits down with Professor Sébastien Jodoin and Professor David Lepofsky for a discussion of accessibility in legal education and practice. Topics include wellness in legal pedagogy, the need for disability-inclusive law school curricula, and the role of lived experience in legal research. For up-to-date information about the Disability Inclusive Climate Action Research Program, please visit https://www.disabilityinclusiveclimate.org/ For more information about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Alliance, please visit www.aodaalliance.org David Lepofsky's Open Source Memoir, "Swimming Up Niagara Falls": https://wyaj.uwindsor.ca/index.php/wyaj/article/view/8579 "People With Disabilities Need Lawyers Too! A Ready-To-Use Plan for Law Schools to Educate Law Students to Effectively Serve the Legal Needs of Clients With Disabilities as Well as Clients Without Disabilities": https://wyaj.uwindsor.ca/index.php/wyaj/article/view/7780

In this episode, 1L podcast committee members Ben Rutkowski, Erin Porter, and Adela Pirillo are joined by Professor Robert Austin, Associate Director of the Center for European and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. They discuss the complex legacies of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, with a particular eye to the treatment of women in transitional justice. They reflect on what lessons can be drawn from the ICTY for future transitional justice processes. Please note that this episode contains discussion of sexual and gender-based violence. Take care when listening.

Alongside renowned Kahnawà:ke Mohawk activist and scholar Taiaiake Alfred, 1L MLJ Podcast Committee members Aaminah Qureshi, Mia Kruger and Tarek Maussili discuss the pitfalls of "pretendianism"—the phenomenon of non-Indigenous people misappropriating Indigenous identities. Their conversation includes reflections on modes of Indigenous self-identification, and on the material harms of opportunities for Indigenous communities being misallocated.

Les référendums sectoriels, bien que peu fréquents dans l'histoire canadienne, ont fait surface dans la paysage politique au cours des dernières années. Ceux-ci soulèvent des questions cruciales sur le pouvoir des provinces et leur potentiel impact sur les relations entre gouvernements. Dans cet épisode, les membres de l'équipe podcast RDM Félix Lévesque, Magali Shimotakahara et Hubert Dupuis accueillent Patrick Taillon, professeur titulaire à la Faculté de droit de l'Université Laval, afin de mieux comprendre les impacts des référendums sectoriels organisés par les provinces sur les dynamiques fédérales—accordant une attention particulière aux relations Québec-Canada.

In this episode, MLJ Podcast Committee member Ezequiel Indriago Perez sits down with Spencer Nestico-Semianiw to discuss his article "Newcomers to Canada: Assessing a Civil Right of Action in Canadian Courts for Crimes Against Humanity and Aggression Committed Abroad." Nestico-Semianiw's article is available in full in the McGill Law Journal's Volume 70, Issue 4.

Members of the MLJ 1L Podcast team sit down with McGill's Co-Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law, Prof. Andrea Harrington. From governance frameworks to new forms of liability, this discussion explores one of private law's newest and most challenging frontiers.

Le RDM accueille la juge Sally Gomery de la Cour d'appel de l'Ontario pour une discussion sur l'application de la loi anti-SLAPP. S'appuyant sur l'affaire Di Franco c. Bueckert , la juge Gomery et les membres de l'équipe du podcast 1L, Alice Viollet et Samuel Schonfeld, discutent de l'évolution du paysage anti-SLAPP à l'ère numérique.

En conversation avec Maître Patrick Martin-Ménard, l'équipe du balado MLJ examine le statut juridique de l'aide médicale à mourir au Québec.

La Revue de droit de McGill est depuis longtemps un lieu de discussion et de débat sur le rôle du droit civil dans l'histoire juridique du Canada. Dans cet épisode, les invités Maître Daniel Boyer et le professeur Michel Morin reviennent sur trois des publications civiles les plus influentes de la Revue. Ils réfléchissent à l'autonomie et à la cohabitation du droit civil québécois avec d'autres ordres juridiques, au mérite ou à l'importance de la codification, et au rôle des institutions judiciaires et de la profession juridique dans le développement du droit civil québécois.

In this episode, we explore the legal and political implications of Bill C-18 , the Online News Act , and the ongoing battle between the Canadian government and social media giants. Our guest, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Associate Professor and University Research Chair in Politics, Communication, and Technology at the University of Ottawa, breaks down the motivations behind Bill C-18 , its impact on Canadian news access, and the broader consequences for media regulation in Canada. She also examines how similar legislation has played out internationally and what the future might hold for digital news intermediaries.

In this episode, we unpack the ethical and regulatory challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly its impact on systemic inequality. Our guests, Professor Ignacio Cofone from Oxford University and Professor Jane Bailey from the University of Ottawa, delve into the ways AI can amplify discrimination, the shortcomings of Canada's current AI legislation, and the need for more robust accountability frameworks. They also discuss the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). Be on the lookout for the McGill Law Journal's special issue on artificial intelligence in Volume 69(4)! Note: At the time of recording, Professor Ignacio Cofone was Canada Research Chair in A.I. Law & Data Governance at McGill University. He is now Professor of Law & Regulation of A.I. at Oxford University.

The late Professor Paul André Crépeau was a legendary figure in Quebec Civil Law and in the study of civil law at McGill. His work in the reform of the Civil Code , in the development of new theories in the law of obligations, as well as his contributions to comparative law, and legal academia spanned approximately six decades. In this episode, we discuss with Justice Nicholas Kasirer and Professor Élise Charpentier about the continued importance of Professor Crépeau's contributions to legal pedagogy at McGill, his publications in the McGill Law Journal, and creation of the Paul-André Crépeau Center for Private and Comparative Law. Note on the episode: The McGill Law Journal specifies that although many of the Civil Code Revision Office's suggestions were accepted, the Quebec legislator did not accept them all in the drafting of the new Civil Code of Quebec , in force since 1994. Le regretté professeur Paul-André Crépeau était une figure légendaire dans le droit civil québécois et dans l'étude du droit civil à McGill. Son travail sur la réforme du Code civil et sur le développement de nouvelles théories dans le droit des obligations, ainsi que ces contributions au droit comparé et au monde académique du droit s'étayait sur six décennies. Dans cet épisode, nous discutons avec le juge Nicholas Kasirer et la professeure Élise Charpentier par rapport à l'importance continue des contributions du professeur Crépeau à la pédagogie juridique à McGill, ses publications au sein de la Revue de droit de McGill, et la création du Centre Paul-André Crépeau de droit privé et comparé. Note sur l'épisode: La Revue de droit de McGill tient à préciser que bien que plusieurs propositions du rapport de l'Office de révision du Code civil aient été acceptées, le législateur québécois ne les a pas tous suivies lors de la rédaction du nouveau Code civil du Québec , entré en vigueur en 1994.

In this episode, we unpack the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement and the 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada which unanimously upheld its constitutionality. Our guest, Audrey Macklin, Professor and Rebecca Cook Chair at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, delves into the history, consequences, and supposed "safety valves" of the agreement.

This episode explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), intellectual property, and art, focusing on the challenges posed by AI-generated works. Katherine Wilson-Milne, a partner at Schindler Cohen & Hochman LLP, discusses the complexities of copyright laws as they apply to AI-created works. Katherine also considers ongoing legal battles which could reshape copyright protections in the digital age. The episode provides a timely look at how AI is transforming both the art world and its legal landscape.

This episode explores the challenges of freedom of expression in Canada's digital landscape. Emmett Macfarlane, Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, discusses how Canadian courts define free speech and the role of professional regulatory bodies in curbing misinformation and disinformation. Professor Macfarlane also examines policies like Bill C-18, offering insights into how Canada can address online harms while preserving democratic values and ensuring a healthy media environment.

This episode delves into the controversy surrounding Quebec's decision to significantly raise tuition for out-of-province students attending anglophone universities. Dr. Daniel Weinstock, Full Professor at McGill University and the Catherine Pearson Chair in Civil Society and Public Policy, contextualizes the tuition hikes within the province's long-standing efforts to protect the French language. Dr. Weinstock's discussion also touches on the broader implications of the tuition hikes for education, cultural identity, and accessibility in Quebec.

Dans cet épisode, nous interrogeons les défis que vit actuellement le système de justice et ce, sous un angle bien précis. Notre invitée, Emmanuelle Bernheim, professeure titulaire à la Faculté de droit de l'Université d'Ottawa, s'est penchée, dans son article dans la Revue de droit de McGill, sur les défis rencontrés par le personnel judiciaire dans ses interactions avec les justiciables non-représentés et sur les obstacles auxquels se heurtent les justiciables non-représentés eux-mêmes dans le cadre des procédures judiciaires.

This episode will explore access to justice as part of the McGill Law Journal's progression towards open access, highlighting the importance of access to justice and how access to legal information can contribute to this pursuit. In this episode Me Steeves Bujold provides rich insight on how to improve access to justice, particularly for marginalized communities, and the way in which the legal industry can evolve to best serve those who need access the most.