Articles 2023

In October 2024, the Ontario Court of Appeal allowed an appeal in Mathur v Ontario, an ongoing youth-led climate case. The Court found that the Province voluntarily assumed a positive statutory obligation to combat climate change, meaning its target and plan need to be Charter compliant. Although the Court allowed the appeal, it declined to decide the application and instead remitted the matter for a new hearing before the same or another justice of the Superior Court.

On August 7th, 2024, the Divisional Court of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released an important decision affirming the rights of children with capacity to make decisions about their own health care under Ontario’s Health Care Consent Act, 1996. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the province’s recognition of capable children’s indisputable right to consent to medical treatments.

On February 27, 2024, the University of Ottawa’s Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child (IRLRC) held an informative and engaging virtual program titled, “Parents, Schools and Children's Rights.”

The article discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's recent decision in Reference re An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.

Dylan Challinor, a third-year Practice Placement student, discusses his week-long experience in the public sector at the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman.

A key principle in administrative law is that justice must not only be done, but also be seen to be done. What does this mean in practice? A panel at this year’s Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR) Conference on November 2, 2023, took up this question in the context of modernization within three different organizations.

On October 30, 2023, the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission joined others to discuss a wide range of topics and best practices related to human rights and equity. The conversation and key takeaways are summarized below.

The article summarizes an interview with Diana Cooke, Director, Children and Youth Unit at the Ontario Ombudsman.

This article discusses current issues facing Canadian grocery retailers, an upcoming market study and the potential impact of amendments made to the Competition Act.