Know How

The blog of the Great Library at the Law Society of Ontario

Author Archives: The Great Library


by Leave a comment

Remote Access to Online CPD Materials

Did you know that you can remotely access continuing professional development (CPD) materials through the Great Library’s catalogue? Whether searching through the “Everything”1or “CPD”2 tab (shown below), you can search, summon, download and send digitized CPD materials remotely.

  1. option 1.png2.option 2.png

Searches using the “Everything” tab are conducted on the search platform InfoLocate. While searches on this platform will summon results other than CPD materials, you can use the filter “Online Law Society CLE Articles” found on the left to narrow your results to only include online CPD materials. See below:

Infolocate.png
                ☝

Searches using the “CPD” tab are conducted using the database AccessCLE. This database is home to hundreds of free, digitized PDFs of Law Society of Ontario CPD materials.

Another place to look for online CPD materials is CanLII. The County of Carleton Law Association CPD materials from 2018 and 2019 were recently made available on CanLII’s “Commentary” platform. Find these by navigating to the “Conference Proceedings” link on the Commentary page, or click here.

Having access to CPD materials can really come in handy as they are a great way to keep up to date on emerging legal issues and can act as primers or introductory overviews of major legal topics in a given field. They are also great tools for finding forms and precedents!


by Leave a comment

House of Bills: A Weekly Update on Ontario Bills

After taking a few days to get our ducks in a row, we will be catching up on House of Bills posts for those sitting dates we have missed due to COVID-19 interruptions. Here is the post for the sitting week of March 9-March 12. Stay tuned for the next post which gathers all progress made to Ontario bills in the third and fourth weeks of March during the COVID-19 emergency sitting sessions.

March 9 – March 12legend
42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 141, Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020

Third Reading (March 10 & 11)

Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020

Discharge the Order of referral to Committee (from Standing Committee on Justice Policy) (March 9)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on General Government (March 9)

Bill 159, Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020

Second Reading (March 10-12)

Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Justice Policy (March 12)

Bill 171, Building Transit Faster Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Social Policy (March 10)

Bill 174, Ditch the Switch Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried (March 12)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills (March 12)

Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried on division (March 9 & 10)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Social Policy (March 10)

Bill 177, Sikh Genocide Awareness Week Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried (March 12)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Justice Policy (March 12)

Bill 180, Somali Heritage Week Act, 2020

First Reading (March 10)

Bill 181, Supply Act, 2020

First Reading (March 10)
Second Reading, carried on division (March 11 & 12)
Third Reading, carried on division (March 12)

Bill 182, Franco-Ontarian Emblem Amendment Act, 2020

First Reading (March 10)
Second Reading, carried (March 12)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills (March 12)

Bill 183, Strengthening Human Rights in Ontario Act, 2020

First Reading (March 11)

Bill 184, Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020

First Reading (March 12)

Bill 185, Vision Zero Strategy Act, 2020

First Reading (March 12)


by Leave a comment

Ephemera in Rare Books

Nowadays, when someone leaves something in a book, it is usually in the form of a bookmark or something that can be used to mark a page. Often librarians find unconventional items left in books or used as bookmarks; items such as tissues, q-tips, and receipts just to name a few. These little scraps left in books can sometimes provide clues about the person who used a book last.

This can get even more interesting when these items are left by someone from the past. While going through our rare book collection, we have found many interesting items left behind in books.

While items left in books do not have a specific term, the closest term to use would probably be ephemera. Maurice Rickards, who wrote the Encyclopedia of Ephemera, defines the term as “the minor transient documents of everyday life”. These documents tend to be either printed or handwritten. Most of the items that we have found in our rare books fit this description, though we have expanded this definition for our purposes to also include other transient items such as dried flowers. Below we have collected some of the more interesting ephemera we have found in our rare books so far:

Letters: Letters can provide insight into why a particular book might have been added to someone’s book collection. A good example of this is a letter written to William Renwick Riddell from Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the 7th Prime Minister of Canada. It is obvious that Wilfrid Laurier and William Riddell exchanged letters before this particular one, which mentions donating the book “Statement concerning Red River Settlement” to which this letter is attached.

Wilfrid Letter

Notes: We have found a variety of notes in many of our rare books, both handwritten and typed, but the note below has to be our favourite. We aren’t quite sure whether this note is a poem or perhaps a grocery list. It’s up to you to decide.

Handwritten note

Newspaper Clippings: Newspaper tends to be flimsy even when first printed, so it is no surprise that it becomes quite brittle as it ages. This makes it hard to preserve, though we do have some good examples from the early 20th century in a book written by Mr. Riddell titled The Legal Profession in Upper Canada, published in 1916. This volume is actually filled with various ephemera, from handwritten notes to typed letters and newspaper clippings.

Newspaper Clippings

Dried Flowers: Occasionally, what you find in books might not be something that was ever meant to be left there. The dried flowers found in an 1815 book is a good example of this. While the book was used to flatten and dry the flowers, presumably it was the owner’s intention to remove them at some point. These flowers were also in the same book where the “poem” was found.

Dried Flowers 2

Advertisements: Ads are usually tailored towards a certain population in a specific time period, so it is definitely interesting when ads from the late 1800s survive to this day. It tells us something about everyday life during that period of time. The ad shown below is from The Ontario Law Directory for 1880 and is an example of an advertisement that you wouldn’t see in 2020.

Advertisment

There are many more examples of ephemera inserted into our rare books, these are just a selection of those that we found the most interesting.

So the next time you come across a piece of paper left in a book, take the time to wonder why the document was left there in the first place.


by Leave a comment

House of Bills: A Weekly Update on Ontario Bills

March 2 – March 5legend
42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 145, Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020
Royal Assent (March 4)

Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020
Second Reading, carried on division (March 4)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Justice Policy (March 4)

Bill 159, Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020

Reported as amended (March 2)
First Reading, Ordered for Second Reading pursuant to Standing Order 77(b) (March 2)
Second Reading (March 5)

Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried on division (March 3 & 5)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Justice Policy (March 5)

Bill 162, Public Accountability and Lobbyist Transparency Act, 2020

Discharge the Order of referral to Committee of the Whole House (March 3)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Justice Policy (March 3)

Bill 166, Great Lakes Protection Amendment Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried (March 5)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills (March 5)

Bill 171, Building Transit Faster Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried on division (March 3)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Social Policy (March 3)

Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020

Second Reading (March 2-5)

Bill 178, Black Mental Health Day Act, 2020

First Reading (March 2)

Bill 179, Assessment Amendment Act (Areas in Transition), 2020

First Reading (March 3)


by Leave a comment

New Books – Late Winter 2020

Here’s a selection of recent and noteworthy additions to our shelves:

New titles:

Big Data Law in Canada by Phull. KF 1263 .C66 P48 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Big Data Law in Canada will help anyone involved in data governance gain an understanding of the legal issues affecting data-driven enterprises. The book explores how big data intersects with the Canadian privacy law framework, cybersecurity legal standards, data privacy litigation, commercial electronic messages and the right to erasure. It also covers such areas as data governance, data breaches, digital authentication, trans-border data flows, and artificial intelligence.

Commissions of Inquiry by Goudge & MacIvor. KF 5422 G69 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

This book covers all aspects of commissions of inquiry from their history and evolution in Canada to their governing laws and current role. Written as a resource for legal practitioners and judges as well for government officials and private citizens, it provides guidance on the practical aspects of conducting an inquiry, such as drafting commission terms of reference, rules and orders, appointing commissioners, selecting staff, hearing witnesses and writing the final report. The book also makes extensive reference to significant Canadian inquiries and includes an appendix of narratives of selected public inquiries.

Equine Law and Horse Sense by Fershtman. KF 390.5 .H6 F47 2019 / 1st Floor.

With few current Canadian legal resources available in the area of equine law, this American text helps fill the gap. Equine Law and Horse Sense provides practical insights for individuals, businesses and organizations participating in the horse industry or horse-related activities. It covers equine injuries, litigation and the drafting, reviewing and negotiating of equine-related contracts. With chapters on land use and zoning, managing an equine business, equine-related liabilities and maximizing the value of equine insurance, this title acts as a solid legal primer to all things equestrian.

Flawed Precedent: The St. Catherine’s Case and Aboriginal Title by McNeil. KF 5662 O45 M36 2019 / 1st Floor.

Part of the Landmark Cases in Canadian Law series published by UBC Press, this book examines in detail  the pivotal 19th century Indigenous land rights case of St. Catharine’s Milling and Lumber Company v The Queen. Following a trial completely based on ignorance, racist assumptions and prejudicial attitudes, the various courts’ decisions in this case not only had detrimental effects on Indigenous land title, but also set the precedent for Canadian law and policy surrounding Indigenous rights for the next century. Author Kent McNeil explores the ramifications and provides commentary on the political, historical and ideological contexts that drove the case.

The Law of Objections in Canada: A Handbook by Marseille & McArthur. KF 8935 .ZA2 L39 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

This practical handbook covers the rules for all possible objections that can be made at trial. Litigators, criminal lawyers and judges will appreciate its logical structure, including an easy to use Table of Objections. The book deals with objections respecting the object of proof (fairness at trial, privilege and fundamental rights and freedoms) and objections respecting the means of proof (testimony, documentary and circumstantial evidence). Each chapter includes a summary of the rule, its purpose, scope and exceptions.

The Law of Costs in Personal Injury Actions by Bent & Campos Reales. KF 1257 B46 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

This new text is a valuable addition to the available resources on the law of costs. Dealing specifically with costs in Ontario personal injury litigation, the book covers fixing and assigning costs, solicitor-client and party costs, offers to settle and security for costs. A separate chapter examines costs in particular proceedings, from motions to appeals. 

LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis edited by Radbord. KF 4483 .C576 L53 2020 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis is one of the few legal resources that offers practical and intersectional guidance on the legal issues experienced by members of the LGBTQ2+ community. This book investigates the many areas of legal practice in which LGBTQ2+ members may encounter challenges related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Some of the topics explored include issues related to human rights and the charter, family law, estate planning issues, immigration law and criminal law and public health. This text also provides guidance to lawyers on such matters as LGBTQ2+ cultural competency and history to ensure that communication with LGBTQ2+ clients is informed, respectful and politically progressive.

More new titles:

Corporate Governance for Directors by Hansell. KF 1423 H35 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Crossing Law’s Border: Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program by Labman. KF 4483 .I532 L33 2019 / 1st Floor.

The Directors’ Handbook by Nathan & Stuchberry. KF 1423 N38 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Seeking the Court’s Advice: The Politics of the Canadian Reference Power by Puddister. KF 4483 .J8 P85 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Sentencing: Principles and Practice by Robitaille & Winocur. KF 9685 R64 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

The Small Firm Roadmap: A Survival Guide to the Future of Your Law Practice by Aaron Street et al. KF 318 S77 20219/ Circulating.

Updated editions:

Canada

Canadian Law of Mining, 2nd ed., by Barton. KF 1819 B377 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Competition and Antitrust Law: Canada and the United States, 5th ed., by Facey & Assaf. KF 1650 .ZA2 F33 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor; also on Lexis Advance Quicklaw in the library.

Child Support Guidelines in Canada, 2020 by Payne and Payne. KF 549 P39 2020/ Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

Defending Class Actions in Canada: A Guide for Defendants, 5th ed., by McCarthy Tetrault. KF 8896 D44 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

The Law of Product Warnings and Recalls in Canada, 2nd ed., by Harrison & Colangelo. KF 3945 H37 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

The Law of Search & Seizure in Canada, 11th ed., by Fontana & Keesham. KF 9630 F65 2019 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor.

The Law of Witnesses and Evidence in Canada, 2 vol. loose leaf, by Sankoff (formerly Witnesses by Mewett and Sankoff). KF 8950 S26 / Practice Collection, 2nd Floor; also on ProView in the library.

UK

Colinvaux’s Law of Insurance, 12th ed. KF 1164 C64 2019 / 1st Floor.

Hudson’s Building and Engineering Contracts, 14th ed. KF 902 H82 2020 / 1st Floor.

Snell’s Equity, 34th ed., by McGhee et al. KF 399 S6 2020 / 1st Floor.

Spencer Bower and Handley: Res Judicata, 5th ed. KF 8992 B8 2019 / 1st Floor.


by Leave a comment

House of Bills: A Weekly Update on Ontario Bills

February 24 – February 27
42nd Parliament, 1st Sessionlegend

Bill 141, Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Social Policy (Feb 24 & 25)
Reported as amended (Feb 26)

Bill 145, Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020

Third Reading, carried on division (Feb 26 & 27)

Bill 159, Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Justice Policy (Feb 27)

Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020

Second Reading (Feb 27)

Bill 168, Combating Antisemitism Act, 2020

Second Reading, carried on division (Feb 27)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Justice Policy (Feb 27)

Bill 171, Building Transit Faster Act, 2020

Second Reading (Feb 24-26)

Bill 173, Ontario Day Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 24)
Second Reading, carried (Feb 27)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills (Feb 27)

Bill 174, Ditch the Switch Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 25)

Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 25)

Bill 176, Maternal Mental Health Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 25)

Bill 177, Sikh Genocide Awareness Week Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 26)


by Leave a comment

LEGISinfo: Tips for Tracking Federal Bill Activity

As some of you may know, the Great Library has been reporting on the legislative activity of Ontario public bills in our new blog series “House of Bills”. Though we don’t cover the federal side of things, here are a few tips for using LEGISinfo to keep track of federal bills as they move through the House of Commons and the Senate.

On the home page of LEGISinfo, you’ll notice that there are a few filter options near the top of the page. For the purposes of tracking the most recent activity of bills, we will be using the “Latest Activity Date” and “Show Details” filters shown below:

By clicking on the “Latest Activity Date”, the bills with the most recent activity are pulled to the top of the page in descending order.

Now that we’ve manipulated the list to show the bills with the most recent activity first, we can use the “Show Details” filter to reveal more information concerning the activity of each bill.  Once expanded, we can now see the last stage the bill has completed under the “Last stage Complete” section and by the bar graph in the top right corner (shown below):

It’s important to note that the data contained in this section reflects the latest stage that the bill has completed, and not necessarily the stage the bill is currently being considered under. For instance, though the entry shown above for Bill C-6 only mentions the first reading, the bill is currently being considered for second reading. If you click the “View Complete Bill Details” link, you will be taken to a page that shows that Bill C-6 sat for second reading on February 24, though it has not yet completed the second reading stage.

For another tool that shows you the latest stage a bill has reached and not necessarily completed, select the “Legislative at a Glance” option located on the left-hand side of the LEGISinfo home page. “Legislation at a Glance” provides an overview of bills under consideration in either the Senate or the House of Commons


by Leave a comment

House of Bills: A Weekly Update on Ontario Bills

After their winter break, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is officially back in session as of February 18, 2020.  This also marks the return of the Great Library’s weekly updates of Ontario legislative activity in our House of Bills blog series.

Though the Legislature returned on February 18, our first post of the year includes activity preceding this date. This is because, if designated, committees can meet during any recess or adjournment (Click here for the calendar listing of dates on which committees or the House can meet). We have included all committee activity of this year thus far below.  

January 2 – February 20
42nd Parliament, 1st Sessionlegend

Bill 141, Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Social Policy (Jan 16 & 29)

Bill 145, Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on General Government (Jan 8, Feb 3 & Feb 19)
Reported as amended (Feb 20)

Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020

Second Reading (Feb 18 & Feb 20)

Bill 159, Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020

Considered by Standing Committee on Justice Policy (Jan 20-22)

Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020

Second Reading (Feb 19)

Bill 162, Public Accountability and Lobbyist Transparency Act, 2020

Second Reading, Carried (Feb 20)
Ordered referred to Committee of the Whole House (Feb 20)

Bill 163, Food Day Ontario (Food Day Canada in Ontario) Act, 2020

Second Reading, Carried, (Feb 20)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on General Government (Feb 20)

Bill 167, Legislative Assembly Amendment Act, 2020

Second Reading, Carried (Feb 18)
Ordered referred to Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly (Feb 18)

Bill 171, Building Transit Faster Act, 2020

First Reading (Feb 18)

Bill 172, Education Statute Law Amendment Act (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), 2020

First Reading (Feb 18)


by Leave a comment

One to watch – Ontario Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2019

The Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2019 (Bill 161) was introduced late last year by Attorney General Doug Downey. The stated aim of this ambitious 80-page package of reforms is to simplify Ontario’s complex and outdated justice system. If passed, the bill will make changes, large and small, to over 20 acts impacting the courts, legal aid, legal practice and regulation.

Here are a few key Bill 161 amendments:

Class Proceedings Act (Schedule 4)

  • introduces a more rigorous certification test, new provisions for approval of third-party funding, coordination of multi-jurisdictional actions, administrative dismissal of  dormant proceedings, and procedural changes relating to appeals, carriage motions and settlement and counsel fee approvals

Commissioners for the Taking of Affidavits Act (Schedule 5)

  • allows for virtual (remote) commissioning of documents

Estates Act (Schedule 9)

  • introduces a simplified probate process for small estates

Law Society Act (Schedule 14)

  • grants the Law Society of Ontario the authority to regulate firms, in addition to regulating lawyers and paralegals individually

Notaries Act (Schedule 19)

  • allows paralegals to be appointed as notaries

A complete summary of amendments can be found in the Explantory Note to Bill 161.

Legal organizations, academics and practitioners have already responded to various aspects of the bill. See for example:

Since Bill 161 received first reading on December 9, 2019, just days before the Legislature adjourned for its winter break, it has thus far not been debated in the House or Committee. But MPPs return to work today, so stay tuned.