Author Archives
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Freedom of Expression: Recent Jurisprudence
Reading Time: 6 minutes Disponible en français. “Everyone has the … freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” – Section (2b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Freedom of Expression and the… Read More ›
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Executive Summary – Omnibus Bills: Frequently Asked Questions
Reading Time: 2 minutes Disponible en français. For about 150 years, the term “omnibus bill” went without a firm definition in the procedural rules of either the Senate or the House of Commons. Often when omnibus bills were introduced, questions arose about their nature,… Read More ›
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Coming into Force of Federal Legislation: A Practical Guide
Reading Time: 6 minutes Disponible en français. Following Royal Assent, a federal bill becomes an Act of Parliament and is printed as a chapter in the Statutes of Canada. However, the provisions in that Act do not produce legal effects until they have come… Read More ›
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Canada’s Defence Policy Statements: Change and Continuity
Reading Time: 5 minutes Disponible en français. In June 2017, the Government of Canada released its most recent defence policy statement: Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy (SSE). SSE outlines Canada’s defence priorities for a 20-year period. In the 2022 federal budget, the government… Read More ›
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The Parliament of Canada and the Francophonie
Reading Time: 5 minutes Disponible en français. On 8 July 2022, a Canadian parliamentarian [in French] was elected president of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) for a two-year term. The APF is the parliamentary arm of what is referred to as the “institutional… Read More ›
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Into the Depths: International Law and Deep Seabed Mining
Reading Time: 5 minutes Disponible en français. The oceans are much deeper than we think. The high seas – defined in international law as the waters beyond all national territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) – extend to depths ranging from an average of over… Read More ›
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The Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement: State-to-State Dispute Settlement
Reading Time: 5 minutes Disponible en français. On 1 July 2022, the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) had been in force for two years. CUSMA superseded the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in force since 1994. CUSMA contains three dispute-settlement mechanisms, which are contained… Read More ›
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Executive Summary – Road Transportation: Heavyweight of the Canadian Economy
Reading Time: < 1 minute Disponible en français. The trucking sector is one of the most important pillars of transportation in the supply chain. Thanks to Canada’s extensive road network, trucks are the primary mode of transport used to ship goods across the country. The trucking… Read More ›
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Executive Summary – The Distribution of Legislative Powers: An Overview
Reading Time: 2 minutes Disponible en français. The distribution of legislative powers among the various levels of government is a key feature of federalism. To guide this distribution, the Constitution Act, 1867 divides legislative powers between the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. These powers are… Read More ›