TORONTO, May 2, 2012 – Osgoode Hall Law School of York University will present its 15th annual analysis of the constitutional decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada on May 4 and 5, 2012 at Osgoode Professional Development Centre in downtown Toronto.
In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the co-chairs of the 2011 Constitutional Cases Conference (Osgoode Professors Benjamin Berger, Jamie Cameron, Sonia Lawrence and James Stribopoulos) will devote two full days to reflecting on the Charter.
The theme for the first day of the conference is 30 Years of Charter Jurisprudence: Looking Back, Looking Forward. Canada’s leading constitutional scholars and practitioners will give practical and thoughtful analysis of:
• Noteworthy 2011 Supreme Court of Canada constitutional decisions and their implications
• Constitutional law trends and dissents
• Transformative moments in Charter Advocacy
• The Charter's context, 1982-2012
• There will also be breakout sessions on Aboriginal Rights; Section 15 – Equality Stalled?; Fundamental Freedoms; and Money and Justice (Limits on Rights).
The keynote luncheon speaker on May 4 will be the Hon. Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C., Member of Parliament for Mount Royal.
Day two of the conference will focus on the theme of Criminal Justice and Legal Rights: Reflecting on 30 Years and will include discussion about:
• The justness of criminal justice: how has the Charter changed the problems we face?
• Substantive criminal law and its limits
• Race, culture and diversity
• Due process and its limits
• Gender violence and sexual assault
The Hon. Justice Morris Fish of the Supreme Court of Canada will deliver the keynote luncheon address on May 5.
Dates: May 4 – 5, 2012
Times: May 4: 8:30am – 5pm (reception to follow); May 5: 8:30am – 4:15pm ,
Location: Osgoode Professional Development Centre
1 Dundas St. W., 26th floor, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z3
416.597.9724 or 1.888.923.3394
Please see the agenda for a complete list of session times and participants.
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto – Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 55,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 240,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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For further information:
Virginia Corner
Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School
416.736.5820
vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca
Joanne Rider
Chief Spokesperson and Director, York Media Relations
416.736.5593
jrider@yorku.ca
