TORONTO, April 1, 2002 -- Canada’s leading lawyers, judges and academics will debate the key constitutional decisions last year of the Supreme Court of Canada at Osgoode Hall Law School’s 5^th annual Constitutional Cases Conference on Friday, April 12, 2002 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Osgoode Professional Development Centre, 1 Dundas Street West, Suite 2602.

In addition, this year’s Conference will consider a number of other issues including:

How will the events of September 11 change constitutional litigation in Canada?

Can the federal government’s Anti Terrorism Act be justified under the Charter?

What were the major developments in freedom of expression, freedom of association and equality rights in 2001?

The latest on Charter remedies from the Supreme Court.

Last year’s Conference was sold out and this year’s Conference is expected to be just as popular. Speakers include The Honourable Mr. Justice Louis LeBel of the Supreme Court of Canada, The Honourable Mr. Justice Robert Sharpe of the Ontario Court of Appeal, Morris Rosenberg, Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Mark Frieman, Deputy Attorney General of Ontario, and Dean Peter W. Hogg of Osgoode Hall Law School of York University.

Highlights of the conference are:

9:10 a.m.

The Supreme Court of Canada’s Constitutional Decisions in 2001: An Overview Patrick Monahan, Osgoode Hall Law School

 

9:30 a.m.	The Charter and Criminal Law in 2001
	Moderator: Associate Dean Shelley Gavigan, Osgoode Hall Law School
	Speakers:
	Dianne Martin, Osgoode Hall Law School, "Extradition and the Charter";
	David Paciocco, University of Ottawa and Edelson & Associates, "The Federal Government’s Anti Terrorism Act: A Defence Lawyer’s Perspective";
	Morris Rosenberg, Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice, Government of Canada, "Constitutional Law and Current Charter Issues Facing the Federal Government";
	Alan Young, Osgoode Hall Law School, "Section 7 of the Charter: Creating Principles of Fundamental Justice."

11 a.m.	Federalism and Judicial Independence
	Moderator: Daniel Drache, York University
	Speakers:
	Dean Peter Hogg, Osgoode Hall Law School, "The Supreme Court’s Federalism Decisions in 2001";
	The Honourable Robert Sharpe, Court of Appeal for Ontario, "The Court’s Decisions in Re: Therrien and Ocean Port and the Unwritten Constitutional Principle of Judicial Independence";
	Geoffrey Cowper, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (Vancouver), "Does Canada need a political questions doctrine?"

12:30 p.m.	Luncheon
	Speaker: The Honourable Louis LeBel of the Supreme Court of Canada, "The Rise of International Law in Canadian Constitutional Litigation"

2:15 p.m.	Aboriginal Rights
	Moderator: Brian Slattery, Osgoode Hall Law School
	Speakers:
	Peter Hutchins, Hutchins, Soroka and Dionne (Montreal);
	Gordon Christie, Osgoode Hall Law School
	"The implications for Mitchell for Aboriginal rights and the cross-border movement of goods"
	"Evidentiary issues in Aboriginal litigation"
	"Framing pleadings and characterizing rights in Aboriginal litigation"

3:30 p.m.	Fundamental Freedoms and Equality
	Moderator: Patrick Monahan, Osgoode Hall Law School
	Speakers:
	Jamie Cameron, Osgoode Hall Law School
	"The Sharpe case and freedom of expression"
	"The Advance Cutting and Coring case, freedom of association and requirements to obtain union membership";
	Mark Frieman, Deputy Attorney General, Government of Ontario, "Section 1 of the Charter";
	Sonia Lawrence, Osgoode Hall Law School, "The Trinity Western University case and the conflict between religious freedom and gay and lesbian rights in the education system";
	David Sgayias, Department of Justice Canada, "Remedies in Charter Litigation."

 

5 p.m.

Conference Adjourns.

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Media are required to register for the conference:
Please call 416-597-9724 or e-mail: pdp@osgoode.yorku.ca

For further information, please contact:

Prof. Patrick Monahan	Virginia Corner
Director, Centre for Public Law and Public Policy	Communications Manager
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University	Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
416-736-5568	416-736-5820

YU/035/02 

Please note: The conference will lead up to a second York University conference The Charter at Twenty, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter at Twenty conference will take place on Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Osgoode Professional Development Centre, 1 Dundas Street West, 26^th floor. For more information, visit: www.arts.yorku.ca/charterat20.