Constitutional Law — Episodes — The Law School Show

215. Sullivan, Chan, and Brown: Striking Down Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code and What Comes Next

Hosts Hailey Berge and Kelley Humber are joined by uOttawa Law Professor, Carissima Mathen, to discuss the implications of the recent May 13, 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decisions which struck down section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, declaring it to be unconstitutional. As Professor Mathen explains, even though Parliament had good intention to protect victims of crime with this provision, it ultimately resulted in violations of section 7 and 11(d) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that could not be justified. Even so, this unanimous 9-0 ruling resulted in a lot of public scrutiny and has left many of us wondering what it means and how the public will be affected.

211. Justice: The Honourable Marshall Rothstein on His Journey from the Dining Car to the Supreme Court of Canada

Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Marshall Rothstein, former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada! Justice Rothstein reminisces about his journey from working extremely long hours as a waiter and a pantryman on a dining car, to law school, to his early legal practice, and to his experiences as a Supreme Court justice. Justice Rothstein also discusses the importance of civility and the art of civil disagreement, which are important skills in judging, in the legal practice, and in daily life.

203. Constitutional Principles and the Toronto (City Council) v Ontario Decision (with Professor Leonid Sirota)

Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2014 Senate Reference decision, which he argues effectively incorporated certain constitutional conventions into constitutional law.

201. The Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Meaning of ”Constitutional Architecture” (with Professor Leonid Sirota)

Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2014 Senate Reference decision, which he argues effectively incorporated certain constitutional conventions into constitutional law.

190. Understanding Subconscious Judicial Bias (with Professor Craig Jones)

Nick Kruiper sits down with Dr. Jones to talk about his career. Along the way, they discuss advice for law students, the state of the legal profession and Dr. Jones' research on subconscious judicial bias.

189. An Introduction to Lawyer-ed (with Jashan Singh)

Join our host Bianca Morello for a conversation with Jashan Singh, founder and managing director of Lawyer-ed. Lawyer-ed is a platform that allows pre-law and current law students to express their views on legal, political, and social issues and receive help with job searching and professional development. Jashan shares how Lawyer-ed came to be and their services to support individuals throughout their journey into law.

188. Protecting Civil Liberties in Times of Uncertainty (with Cara Zwibel)

In this episode, host Ali Mesbahian chats with Cara Zwibel from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). Cara is the director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the CCLA and has extensive experience in constitutional law and public policy. Tune in for this timely discussion on the civil liberties implications of policies such as the new federal Online Harms proposal and vaccine passports.

163. The Constitutional Legend: A Conversation with Dr. Joseph Eliot Magnet on the Evolution of Canada's Constitution, the Constitutional Lawyer, and the Human Aspects of the Legal Practice

Join Amos Vang as he interviews Professor Joseph Magnet on his career and the evolution of Canada’s constitutionalism. From clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada under Chief Justice Brian Dickson to becoming the lead counsel of over 200 constitutional cases at the Supreme Court of Canada and other appeal courts, Professor Magnet has become one of the most important contributors to Canada’s constitutional evolution.

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