Education Seminar - Ontario (Fall 2017)

Overview

This seminar focused on issues in civil, family and criminal law of practical relevance to the work of the Court.

Objectives

The objectives of this seminar were to enhance the participants’ awareness of key developments in civil, criminal and family law matters before the Court and to better develop their understanding of social context on issues of Aboriginal child welfare, reconciliation, and human trafficking.

Summary

Sessions were led by judges, senior practitioners, legal academics, counsel from the Crown and defence bar, and a police officer. The civil law sessions on real estate law were designed to support judges with successfully managing the range of issues in motions, applications and trials involving real estate matters, including title insurance, specific performance, orders that affect land, and mortgage and title fraud. Family law sessions focused on procedural issues, such as motions and conferences. Particular attention was paid to working effectively with self-represented litigants, setting the tone for proceedings, overcoming barriers, and effectively setting up next steps in the proceedings. The criminal law portion focused on the “Dark Web”, with sessions which considered how it operates, who uses it, and the challenges it poses for law enforcement and the legal community, including the judiciary. Led by members of the judiciary and representatives from law enforcement, the prosecution service, and the defence bar who work in this area of cybercrime, these sessions prepared judges for cases involving the Dark Web and its use in the sale of narcotics, automatic weapons, child pornography, fraudulent identity documents, and classified information.

Participants had the opportunity to apply the concepts using scenarios, instant responses to questions and discussions with their peers.