Joint Education Seminar

Overview

This seminar focused on issues relevant to appellate judging in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, including the social context of the Métis population and legal issues concerning Métis title to land, the rising phenomena of street and prison gangs in Western Canada, cross-border jurisdictional issues and updates on cases from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Objectives

The objective of this seminar was to improve the participants’ understanding of issues of particular relevance and significance in Western Canada, to develop appellate judging skills, and to understand and analyze key Supreme Court of Canada decisions in contract, tort and administrative law.

Summary

Led by appellate judges and multi-disciplinary academics from law, Indigenous studies and political science, participants were engaged on issues through a combination of lectures, round tables, and plenary discussions. Issues covered included: a history of Métis people and social context; the legal framework for Métis title; the Crown’s duty to consult and fiduciary obligations; the rising phenomena of street gangs and prison gangs in Western Canada, with emphasis on sentencing considerations and how sentencing gang members may impact a return to gang life; and sharing of best practices between the two appeal courts.