Techno Lawyer outlines the top 5 reasons associates hate partners. I just want a partner to hate! #stillhasno2Ljob (via Sweet Hot Justice).
Public hearings on police conduct during the Toronto G20 have been taking place this week. Read all about it at the CBC, or check out one woman's story of having been "kettled" on the Sunday of G20 weekend at the Globe and Mail. Plus Ipso Facto has our own exclusive story about what it was like to be a legal observer at the G20.
The University of Windsor School of Law has responded to Professor Emily Carasco's allegations in a factum submitted to the Human Rights Tribunal, in it claiming that she has a reputation of being vindictive and vengeful. I just wish we could make a cake full of rainbows and smiles and we would all eat it and be happy.
The lawyer behind the now infamous "So You Want to go to Law School" YouTube video has been revealed. Now I know who to send my complaints about the crappy auto-tuned voices to.
Today is Random Act of Kindness day! So much better than "Kick-a-homeless-bum-in-the-street-day".
Missed Ipso Facto this week? Click here for this week's episode.
Showing posts with label H. G. Watson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label H. G. Watson. Show all posts
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ipso Facto OpEd: I am a Person. Hear me roar!
Disclaimer: Ipso Facto editorials represent the views of the author, and do not represent the views of the Ipso Facto editorial board, CJAM 99.1 FM, the University of Windsor, or the University of Windsor Faculty of Law.
81 years ago 5 women got together and did something that seems almost unthinkable to us today; they forced the government of Canada to recognize that women are persons. For Emily Murphy, Nellie Mooney McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney, Irene Marryat Parlby and Henrietta Muir Edwards, the fight to have "persons" as it was interpreted in the then British North America Act include women meant being recognized as equals in politics, and in life. Since then Canadian women use October 20th-dubbed "Person's Day"-to celebrate equality and bring attention to contemporary womens issues.
It may seem strange to some of us now that the personhood of women is even up for discussion. Women in Canada enjoy equal rights; they have actively particpated in the political sphere for some time and more and more we see women rising to positions of power in the judiciary, in business, and on the world stage. However, every once and a while a news story comes up that should remind us all that the battle for equality is not yet won.
One such news story is the Col. Russel Williams trial.
I have been following this case since the story broke due to my own morbid curiosity. Here we have a man who, by all accounts, was outwardly kind and friendly. A leader at CFB Trenton, he loved his wife and was a good commander. But the second life he led was one of hate. The more and more details that come out of the trial the more we find that Col. Williams was a deeply disturbed individual. His crimes are indescribably horrific (I won't repeat them in full here, as they have been adequately covered in mainstream press). It were as if this was an episode of "Dexter" rather than a true story that happened not 600 KM from where I now write.
The more I read about his victims the angrier I get. I have always considered myself to be a peaceful person, but I'll admit that there is a dark part of me that would take a grim sastisfaction in having this pitiful excuse for a human strapped to an electric chair. He represents to me one of the scariest things a woman would ever have to confront; a man that views females as pure objects, nothing more.
Objectification. It's a word that's bandied around a lot by feminist scholars without much understanding of what the issue with it is. In our culture objectification can occur when women are viewed singularly as something to be obtained for sexual and/or domestic pleasure. It's pervasive in our media images. Advertisements will often depict models as tied to (figuratively) the object for sale, or as passively gazing at the viewer while the male is active. The men on "Jersey Shore" go to clubs to find someone DTF (down-to-fuck) barely caring to find out their name and throwing them out of the house if they aren't immediately willing to hop into bed. I haven't always bought the "media will warp the minds of youth!" argument, but I do believe that when women are continually shown as objects that it can be hugely discouraging and create a systemic belief that this is in fact the case.
And why is this dangerous? An object is something with no voice, no conscience. It can be used at will and discarded just as easily. It can be destroyed and maimed with no thought to any ill effects. This is how Col. Williams views women. When Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd begged for their lives, he didn't hear anything. Because objects don't have lives; they don't have mothers and fathers or siblings and friends who will care that they are gone. We know that they were people, with hopes and dreams and all that mushy stuff that belongs in a Lifetime movie. They deserved to have the life they wanted. But that chance that all people deserve was unmercifully ripped away from them.
Col. Williams represents an extreme. A wide majority of men do not view women as pure objects. But the systemic beliefs that we carry thanks to years of gender roles being burned into our brains does affect what we think of ourseleves as woman, and how people view us.
This is why Persons Day is as important as it was 81 years ago when the Privy Council handed down its decision. Women have come so far, but as long as even one person like Col. Williams is able to exist, we still need to agitate for change. We need to make sure that womens voices continue to be heard and we need to seriously question the way that women are represented in media and in society. This is the only way that we can truly honour the memory of so many women, like Comeau and Lloyd, who are killed in acts of sexualized violence, and the many more who continue to bravely live with the physical and psychological scars of sexual assault. We need to talk, we need to yell, we need scream, and sing and make sure the whole world knows: I am a person. Hear me roar!
-H.G. Watson
81 years ago 5 women got together and did something that seems almost unthinkable to us today; they forced the government of Canada to recognize that women are persons. For Emily Murphy, Nellie Mooney McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney, Irene Marryat Parlby and Henrietta Muir Edwards, the fight to have "persons" as it was interpreted in the then British North America Act include women meant being recognized as equals in politics, and in life. Since then Canadian women use October 20th-dubbed "Person's Day"-to celebrate equality and bring attention to contemporary womens issues.
It may seem strange to some of us now that the personhood of women is even up for discussion. Women in Canada enjoy equal rights; they have actively particpated in the political sphere for some time and more and more we see women rising to positions of power in the judiciary, in business, and on the world stage. However, every once and a while a news story comes up that should remind us all that the battle for equality is not yet won.
One such news story is the Col. Russel Williams trial.
I have been following this case since the story broke due to my own morbid curiosity. Here we have a man who, by all accounts, was outwardly kind and friendly. A leader at CFB Trenton, he loved his wife and was a good commander. But the second life he led was one of hate. The more and more details that come out of the trial the more we find that Col. Williams was a deeply disturbed individual. His crimes are indescribably horrific (I won't repeat them in full here, as they have been adequately covered in mainstream press). It were as if this was an episode of "Dexter" rather than a true story that happened not 600 KM from where I now write.
The more I read about his victims the angrier I get. I have always considered myself to be a peaceful person, but I'll admit that there is a dark part of me that would take a grim sastisfaction in having this pitiful excuse for a human strapped to an electric chair. He represents to me one of the scariest things a woman would ever have to confront; a man that views females as pure objects, nothing more.
Objectification. It's a word that's bandied around a lot by feminist scholars without much understanding of what the issue with it is. In our culture objectification can occur when women are viewed singularly as something to be obtained for sexual and/or domestic pleasure. It's pervasive in our media images. Advertisements will often depict models as tied to (figuratively) the object for sale, or as passively gazing at the viewer while the male is active. The men on "Jersey Shore" go to clubs to find someone DTF (down-to-fuck) barely caring to find out their name and throwing them out of the house if they aren't immediately willing to hop into bed. I haven't always bought the "media will warp the minds of youth!" argument, but I do believe that when women are continually shown as objects that it can be hugely discouraging and create a systemic belief that this is in fact the case.
And why is this dangerous? An object is something with no voice, no conscience. It can be used at will and discarded just as easily. It can be destroyed and maimed with no thought to any ill effects. This is how Col. Williams views women. When Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd begged for their lives, he didn't hear anything. Because objects don't have lives; they don't have mothers and fathers or siblings and friends who will care that they are gone. We know that they were people, with hopes and dreams and all that mushy stuff that belongs in a Lifetime movie. They deserved to have the life they wanted. But that chance that all people deserve was unmercifully ripped away from them.
Col. Williams represents an extreme. A wide majority of men do not view women as pure objects. But the systemic beliefs that we carry thanks to years of gender roles being burned into our brains does affect what we think of ourseleves as woman, and how people view us.
This is why Persons Day is as important as it was 81 years ago when the Privy Council handed down its decision. Women have come so far, but as long as even one person like Col. Williams is able to exist, we still need to agitate for change. We need to make sure that womens voices continue to be heard and we need to seriously question the way that women are represented in media and in society. This is the only way that we can truly honour the memory of so many women, like Comeau and Lloyd, who are killed in acts of sexualized violence, and the many more who continue to bravely live with the physical and psychological scars of sexual assault. We need to talk, we need to yell, we need scream, and sing and make sure the whole world knows: I am a person. Hear me roar!
-H.G. Watson
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Blog Round Up: October 9th-18th 2010
First up: sorry that the blog round up is tardy this week! To make up for it you will be getting two blog round ups to quell your thirst for legal news and tidbits. Now, on to the fun stuff.
The National Post reports that a police officer dubbed "Officer Bubbles" during the G20 protests in Toronto because of this video, which led a popular YouTube cartoon of him, is suing YouTube for a cool $1.2 million and the identification of the creator of the latter video. The cartoon has been removed from YouTube until the lawsuit is resolved. I don't know why he's so mad. His nickname is soooooo cute!!!
The judge in the Colonel Williams hearing has lifted a ban on laptops and smartphones for journalists who are present at the proceedings, allowing them to update readers live via Twitter and Facebook. But will the judge be able to keep the sentencing under 140 characters?
A Boston College School of Law 3L wrote the Dean asking for his money back, sparking the old question; is school a product that we pay for, or does it have more intangible benefits?
Asylum found 10 of the worst law firm ad's out there. My fav? The CGI rappers who just want their insurance to pay up (via Precedent Magazine).
And advance polls are open for Windsor municipal elections! Go vote!
Missed the last episode of Ipso Facto? As always, find us on www.cjam.ca (you can find us on the program schedule on Wednesday's at 8 AM).
The National Post reports that a police officer dubbed "Officer Bubbles" during the G20 protests in Toronto because of this video, which led a popular YouTube cartoon of him, is suing YouTube for a cool $1.2 million and the identification of the creator of the latter video. The cartoon has been removed from YouTube until the lawsuit is resolved. I don't know why he's so mad. His nickname is soooooo cute!!!
The judge in the Colonel Williams hearing has lifted a ban on laptops and smartphones for journalists who are present at the proceedings, allowing them to update readers live via Twitter and Facebook. But will the judge be able to keep the sentencing under 140 characters?
A Boston College School of Law 3L wrote the Dean asking for his money back, sparking the old question; is school a product that we pay for, or does it have more intangible benefits?
Asylum found 10 of the worst law firm ad's out there. My fav? The CGI rappers who just want their insurance to pay up (via Precedent Magazine).
And advance polls are open for Windsor municipal elections! Go vote!
Missed the last episode of Ipso Facto? As always, find us on www.cjam.ca (you can find us on the program schedule on Wednesday's at 8 AM).
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Blog Round Up: October 2-8th 2010
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in a 5-4 decision yesterday that section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter-which guarantees the right to counsel-does not include the right to further consultation with legal counsel during the course of police investigation.
The ABA Journal reports that a jobless law grad is glad that he went to law school. That this is even worthy of a headline is depressing in the extreme.
In more relevant law hiring news, Lawyers Weekly columnist Omar Ha-Redeye discusses the very real issues mature students have finding articling placements.
A Windsor cab-driver is suing the City of Windsor for $2 million for failing to enforce a city by-law that required cabs to have security cameras installed.
If you missed Ipso Facto this week, check out our G20 episode over at CJAM.
And since it's a long weekend, we'll leave you on an uplifting note. Johnny Depp showed up at a London, England elementary school in character as Captain Jack Sparrow after one of the students requested he come and help mutiny against the teachers. I wrote my own letter to Johnny Depp that goes "Dear Johnny, please whisk me away to France with you!" I expect him to respond any day now.
The ABA Journal reports that a jobless law grad is glad that he went to law school. That this is even worthy of a headline is depressing in the extreme.
In more relevant law hiring news, Lawyers Weekly columnist Omar Ha-Redeye discusses the very real issues mature students have finding articling placements.
A Windsor cab-driver is suing the City of Windsor for $2 million for failing to enforce a city by-law that required cabs to have security cameras installed.
If you missed Ipso Facto this week, check out our G20 episode over at CJAM.
And since it's a long weekend, we'll leave you on an uplifting note. Johnny Depp showed up at a London, England elementary school in character as Captain Jack Sparrow after one of the students requested he come and help mutiny against the teachers. I wrote my own letter to Johnny Depp that goes "Dear Johnny, please whisk me away to France with you!" I expect him to respond any day now.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Blog Round Up: September 25th-October 1st
A New York state judge has ruled that private content on social media networking sites like Facebook and MySpace is admissible in court. OH MY GOD. People still use MySpace?
An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down prostitution laws that made all the activities around prostitution illegal, such as operating a bawdy house. The federal and provincial governments have already appealed.
In the latest installment of "Windsor Law and the Search for the New Dean", we find out the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has no qualms about installing a new dean should they rule in favour of Professor Emily Carasco.
On Campus Interviews are coming up for law students across Canada. Sweet Hot Justice has an article on an issue that is pertinent to all of us who may be joining a big law firm next summer; how much cleavage is too much in the workplace? [Link mildly NSFW]
Finally, Windsor is making a bid to be the most bike friendly community in North America. After driving straight through a pot-hole today, I can't begin to say how much I want this to be a reality (hint: it's a lot).
An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down prostitution laws that made all the activities around prostitution illegal, such as operating a bawdy house. The federal and provincial governments have already appealed.
In the latest installment of "Windsor Law and the Search for the New Dean", we find out the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has no qualms about installing a new dean should they rule in favour of Professor Emily Carasco.
On Campus Interviews are coming up for law students across Canada. Sweet Hot Justice has an article on an issue that is pertinent to all of us who may be joining a big law firm next summer; how much cleavage is too much in the workplace? [Link mildly NSFW]
Finally, Windsor is making a bid to be the most bike friendly community in North America. After driving straight through a pot-hole today, I can't begin to say how much I want this to be a reality (hint: it's a lot).
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ipso Facto OpEd: Excuse me, you're stepping on my meat train
Disclaimer: Ipso Facto editorials represent the views of the author, and do not represent the views of the Ipso Facto editorial board, CJAM 99.1 FM, the University of Windsor, or the University of Windsor Faculty of Law.
Everyone knows the old adage in journalism. "When a dog bites a man it's not news. When a man bites a dog, it's news." In that vein, when a pop star wears a kooky design to an awards gala? They'll get some attention, surely. But what happens when a successful and controversial pop star wears a dress assembled of steaks to a major music awards event? Media frenzy.
I am of course referring to Lady Gaga's meat dress that she recently donned to accept an award at the MTV Video Music Awards. As I'm sure she wished, the dress brought an onslaught of media attention, and was condemned by numerous groups including many animal rights groups. But for all that attention, the pop star made claims that there was a political point to her dress: to protest the US Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on homosexuality in the military.
DADT has become a hot button issue for those advocating for gay and lesbian rights in the United States. Essentially, the policy allows homosexuals to stay in the US military as long as they don't disclose their sexual orientation to others. It shouldn't take a genius to see that this policy is rife with problems. For example, what happens if a person's sexuality is disclosed without their permission? In some cases it has led to servicemen and women being dismissed from the military (you can read about one such case here). But the greater philosophical question remains; why is there fear of homosexuals participating in military service?
Historically, we know that tolerance for the gay and lesbian community has only began to improve in the last twenty years in the Western world. Canada itself had a prohibition against homosexuals in the military until a 1992 Charter challenge overturned the law. Since then gays and lesbians have been able to openly serve in the military, without any apparent damage to our pride in our nation or in our service men and women. Yet in the United States there remains a fear that is homosexuals serve openly it could affect the moral of the troops and how the public views the US Military.
I recently attended a lecture series by Professor Carl Stychin, an expert in law and sexuality. He theorizes that there are strong ties between citizenship, national identity, and sexuality. A nation can build it's reputation on how tolerant it is of it's gay and lesbian community. In Canada, over the last twenty years we have built an image of being a progressive nation in terms of equality rights for gay and lesbian citizens. Queer couples can get married and take advantage of partner benefits. Toronto PRIDE week is second only to San Francisco in size and spectacle. So perhaps in Canada, where our national identity is one of acceptance, we're more readily able to accept a military that's comprised of people open with their sexuality, whatever that may be.
What does this all have to do with Lady Gaga? If we think about the US’s image in terms of gay and lesbian rights over the last two decades, it is one that is markedly different from Canada’s. It’s become a battlefield, with two sides that can be skewed any number of ways; gay vs. straight, urban vs. rural, middle America vs. the east and west coast. So when a celebrity makes a visual statement the way Lady Gaga did (even if it was motivated by her own self-interest) it becomes more than a sensation. It becomes another site of the battle over the American identity.
-H.G. Watson
I am of course referring to Lady Gaga's meat dress that she recently donned to accept an award at the MTV Video Music Awards. As I'm sure she wished, the dress brought an onslaught of media attention, and was condemned by numerous groups including many animal rights groups. But for all that attention, the pop star made claims that there was a political point to her dress: to protest the US Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on homosexuality in the military.
DADT has become a hot button issue for those advocating for gay and lesbian rights in the United States. Essentially, the policy allows homosexuals to stay in the US military as long as they don't disclose their sexual orientation to others. It shouldn't take a genius to see that this policy is rife with problems. For example, what happens if a person's sexuality is disclosed without their permission? In some cases it has led to servicemen and women being dismissed from the military (you can read about one such case here). But the greater philosophical question remains; why is there fear of homosexuals participating in military service?
Historically, we know that tolerance for the gay and lesbian community has only began to improve in the last twenty years in the Western world. Canada itself had a prohibition against homosexuals in the military until a 1992 Charter challenge overturned the law. Since then gays and lesbians have been able to openly serve in the military, without any apparent damage to our pride in our nation or in our service men and women. Yet in the United States there remains a fear that is homosexuals serve openly it could affect the moral of the troops and how the public views the US Military.
I recently attended a lecture series by Professor Carl Stychin, an expert in law and sexuality. He theorizes that there are strong ties between citizenship, national identity, and sexuality. A nation can build it's reputation on how tolerant it is of it's gay and lesbian community. In Canada, over the last twenty years we have built an image of being a progressive nation in terms of equality rights for gay and lesbian citizens. Queer couples can get married and take advantage of partner benefits. Toronto PRIDE week is second only to San Francisco in size and spectacle. So perhaps in Canada, where our national identity is one of acceptance, we're more readily able to accept a military that's comprised of people open with their sexuality, whatever that may be.
What does this all have to do with Lady Gaga? If we think about the US’s image in terms of gay and lesbian rights over the last two decades, it is one that is markedly different from Canada’s. It’s become a battlefield, with two sides that can be skewed any number of ways; gay vs. straight, urban vs. rural, middle America vs. the east and west coast. So when a celebrity makes a visual statement the way Lady Gaga did (even if it was motivated by her own self-interest) it becomes more than a sensation. It becomes another site of the battle over the American identity.
-H.G. Watson
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Blog Round-Up: September 18-24th 2010
Quebec Premier Jean Charest has spent the last few days defending his ability to see who is nominated for judicial appointments for Quebec courts. Traditionally only the Minister of Justice is privy to the list.
Speaking of judiciary news, Alex Chapman has dropped his lawsuit against Manitoba Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas. As I'm sure you remember, Justice Douglas had some naughty photos of her posted on the web. Turns out her husband was doing it without her knowledge. This is going to be one ugly divorce case.
A New York state law student was denied admission to the bar because of his $430 000 of outstanding student loans. Let this be a lesson to us all that using our LOC's for trips to Europe and shopping sprees across the border is not the wisest financial choice.
"Vote Out Loud!" a non-partisan group that wants to get young people to vote in the upcoming Windsor municipal election, roped in Michou (a pretty good Windsor band) to tell us why we should get involved. If rockstars are doing it, it must be cool.
If you missed Ipso Facto last Wednesday, you can catch up right here.
And finally today, news that has personally restored my faith in the justice system: LINDSAY LOHAN'S GOING TO JAIL Y'ALL!
Speaking of judiciary news, Alex Chapman has dropped his lawsuit against Manitoba Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas. As I'm sure you remember, Justice Douglas had some naughty photos of her posted on the web. Turns out her husband was doing it without her knowledge. This is going to be one ugly divorce case.
A New York state law student was denied admission to the bar because of his $430 000 of outstanding student loans. Let this be a lesson to us all that using our LOC's for trips to Europe and shopping sprees across the border is not the wisest financial choice.
"Vote Out Loud!" a non-partisan group that wants to get young people to vote in the upcoming Windsor municipal election, roped in Michou (a pretty good Windsor band) to tell us why we should get involved. If rockstars are doing it, it must be cool.
If you missed Ipso Facto last Wednesday, you can catch up right here.
And finally today, news that has personally restored my faith in the justice system: LINDSAY LOHAN'S GOING TO JAIL Y'ALL!
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Blog Round-Up: September 13-17th 2010
Above-the-Law mythbusts the rumour that Yale Law was allowing students to borrow a dog as a way of relieving stress. Though fake, Ipso Facto strongly supports this idea being implemented at Windsor Law. It would be better than our current method of dealing with stress: listening to Fiona Apple's "When the Pawn..." while slowly crying ourselves to sleep.
Michigan Christian college canceled a New Pornographers concert because of their "offensive" name. Freedom of speech advocates, ASSEMBLE!
The ABA Journal reports that a majority of criminals in New York City are Yankee's fans based on evidence from crime scene photos and eye witness reports. I suspect if you were to poll the sports team favoured by the clinically depressed, the Maple Leafs would be the hands down winner.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that is discrimination to deny disability support to alcoholics.
And in Windsor, Arts Vote 2010 kicked off their campaign to have arts and cultural groups more engaged in the Windsor political scene. Watch out everyone: the artists are getting organized.
Michigan Christian college canceled a New Pornographers concert because of their "offensive" name. Freedom of speech advocates, ASSEMBLE!
The ABA Journal reports that a majority of criminals in New York City are Yankee's fans based on evidence from crime scene photos and eye witness reports. I suspect if you were to poll the sports team favoured by the clinically depressed, the Maple Leafs would be the hands down winner.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that is discrimination to deny disability support to alcoholics.
And in Windsor, Arts Vote 2010 kicked off their campaign to have arts and cultural groups more engaged in the Windsor political scene. Watch out everyone: the artists are getting organized.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Dean of Windsor Law and YOU!
If you follow the news in Windsor (or in the National Post) you probably know by now that the search for a new Dean of Windsor Law has ended in a mess of plagiarism and a very public human rights complaint by one of the candidates, Professor Emily Carasco. The questions arising from this are many. But the one of particular interest to us here at Ipso Facto is: why should you care?
Law schools like to talk a lot about their role in the community. Windsor Law, in particular, has built a reputation on being a school that focuses on "Access to Justice", which supposedly means allowing your average person access to the same legal services as Conrad Black. But common sense tells us this is not always the case.
What does the controversy over the Dean of Law at Windsor mean to you? Do you think it will postively or negatively affect the school? What about the community? And what do you want to see the law school in your community doing better?
Ipso Facto will be out at the Windsor Farmer's Market this Saturday to find out. But leave your thoughs in the comments. We will be talking about the human rights complaint and the search for the Dean of Law on the first Ipso Facto Wednesday September 22nd, at 8:00 AM.
Law schools like to talk a lot about their role in the community. Windsor Law, in particular, has built a reputation on being a school that focuses on "Access to Justice", which supposedly means allowing your average person access to the same legal services as Conrad Black. But common sense tells us this is not always the case.
What does the controversy over the Dean of Law at Windsor mean to you? Do you think it will postively or negatively affect the school? What about the community? And what do you want to see the law school in your community doing better?
Ipso Facto will be out at the Windsor Farmer's Market this Saturday to find out. But leave your thoughs in the comments. We will be talking about the human rights complaint and the search for the Dean of Law on the first Ipso Facto Wednesday September 22nd, at 8:00 AM.
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