Thinking Out Loud

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360705742012-01-31T23:13:58.870-05:00Thinking Out LoudSarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.comBlogger3871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-3895249680300683432011-11-28T23:27:00.001-05:002011-11-28T23:27:03.390-05:00Positive Cases February-July 2011

February 2011 Tomchin v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 231 Cunanan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 220 Kaur v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 219 Toussaint v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 216 JMS v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 208 (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2011/2011fc208/2011fc208.html) Bledy v.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-41239353250109449832011-11-28T22:14:00.001-05:002011-11-28T22:14:49.365-05:00Summary of February 2011 Cases Part 4: B386, Leal Alvarez, Demiraj

Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. B386, 2011 FC 140 (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2011/2011fc140/2011fc140.html) Judge: Chief Justice Lutfy; Date heard: January 19, 2011; Date decided: February 8, 2011; Counsel for B386: Gabriel Chand; Counsel for Minister: Hilla Aharon; Place of Hearing: Vancouver, British Columbia This was a decision of the Federal Court upholding the decision of

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-39764927870706092762011-11-26T18:29:00.001-05:002011-11-26T18:29:25.867-05:00Summary of February 2011 Cases Part 2: Moretto, Woldeghebrial, Paul

Moretto v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 132 (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2011/2011fc132/2011fc132.html) Judge: Chief Justice Lutfy; Date heard: January 20, 2011; Date decided: February 4, 2011; Counsel for Moretto: Adrian Huzel; Counsel for Minister: Kimberly Shane; Place of Hearing: Vancouver, British Columbia Mr. Moretto was an Italian citizen born in 1969, who had

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-19133471402094594622011-11-26T17:55:00.001-05:002011-11-26T17:55:02.629-05:00Summary of February 2011 Cases Part 1: Allen, Gunaratnam, Aghdam

Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Allen, 2011 FC 124 (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2011/2011fc106/2011fc106.html) Judge: Justice Heneghan; Date heard: January 27, 2011; Date decided: February 3, 2011; Counsel for Allen: Omar Khan; Counsel for Minister: Maria Burgos; Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario Justice Heneghan denied the Minister’s application to overturn the

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-77217325795031253632011-09-30T16:48:00.001-04:002011-09-30T16:48:26.325-04:00Perez Villegas—failure to conduct proper analysis of membership or terrorism

Perez Villegas v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 105 (CanLII) Judge: Justice O’Keefe Date heard: September 21, 2010 Date decided: February 2, 2011 Counsel for Perez Villegas: Lorne Waldman Counsel for Minister: Angela Marinos Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario Decision Under Review: refusal of permanent residence on the basis of inadmissibility (s. 34(1)(f)) The Applicant was a

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-14743130565276404322011-09-30T16:26:00.001-04:002011-09-30T16:26:18.459-04:00Oliveros Rubiano—no need to exhaust state protection if reasonable efforts made

Oliveros Rubiano v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 106 (CanLII) Judge: Justice O’Keefe Date heard: September 22, 2010 Date decided: February 2, 2011 Counsel for Oliveros Rubiano: Jonathan E. Fedder Counsel for Minister: Kareena Wilding & Veronica Cham Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario Decision Under Review: negative pre-removal risk assessment The Applicant fled Colombia with his

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-72265220710580003142011-09-30T16:01:00.001-04:002011-09-30T16:01:35.388-04:00Dobson—ignored evidence of genuine marriage

Dobson v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 121 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Heneghan Date heard: November 10, 2010 Date decided: February 2, 2011 Counsel for Dobson: David Matas Counsel for Minister: Aliyah Rahaman Place of Hearing: Winnipeg, MB The Applicant applied for judicial review of a decision of the Immigration Appeal Division upholding a visa officer’s decision refusing the

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-54429406701800607262011-09-30T15:25:00.001-04:002011-09-30T15:25:47.010-04:00Beharry—failure to assess actual adequacy of state protection, not merely efforts made

Beharry v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 111 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Mactavish Date heard: January 27, 2011 Date decided: February 1, 2011 Counsel for Beharry: Krassina Kostadinov Counsel for Minister: Veronica Cham Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant and her two children, citizens of Guyana, filed an application for pre-removal risk assessment. a previous refugee

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-13179316533530998682011-09-20T23:03:00.001-04:002011-09-20T23:03:20.624-04:00Dhondup—mandamus

Dhondup v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 108 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Near Date heard: January 19, 2010 Date decided: January 31, 2011 Counsel for Dhondup: Geraldine Sadoway Counsel for Minister: Michael Butterfield Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant applied for a writ of mandamus to compel the Minister to make a decision on the application for temporary residence

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-80137422535577774712011-09-20T21:32:00.001-04:002011-09-20T21:32:08.636-04:00Davis—failure to assess hardship, ignoring psychological evidence

Davis v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 97 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Mactavish Date heard: January 26, 2011 Date decided: January 27, 2011 Counsel for Davis: Michael Crane Counsel for Minister: Laoura Christodoulides Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant was a failed refugee claimant from St. Vincent; the RPD did not take issue with the history she presented of “

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-11079582488643314122011-09-20T21:16:00.001-04:002011-09-20T21:16:29.152-04:00Ranu—circular reasoning and inadequate reasons

Ranu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 87 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Heneghan Date heard: September 14, 2010 Date decided: January 26, 2011 Counsel for Ranu: Hilete Stein Counsel for Minister: Angela Marinos Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant applied for judicial review of the IAD’s decision that she was inadmissible “on the basis of an indirect misrepresentation, that

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-19342041511630168372011-09-20T20:42:00.001-04:002011-09-20T20:44:49.811-04:00Mings-Edwards—PRRA officer ignored one of two grounds of risk presented

Mings-Edwards v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 90(CanLII) Mings-Edwards v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 91 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Mactavish Date heard: Januray 25, 2011 Date decided: January 26, 2011 Counsel for Mings-Edwards: Aadil Mangalji Counsel for Minister: Kareena Wilding Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant filed a pre-removal risk assessment

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-20269096509305692242011-09-20T20:29:00.001-04:002011-09-20T20:29:51.054-04:00B188–release from detention reasonable in all the circumstances, onus on Minister

Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. B188, 2011 FC 94 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Heneghan Date heard: December 16, 2010 Date decided: January 26, 2011 Counsel for B188: Gabriel Chand Counsel for Minister: Banafsheh Sokhansanj Place of Hearing: Vancouver, British Columbia The Minister applied for judicial review of the decision of Member Marc Tessler releasing the Respondent (B188) from detention

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-73333658005915344362011-09-20T20:09:00.001-04:002011-09-20T20:09:38.640-04:00Ortiz Torres–misconstrued evidence leading to faulty credibility analysis

Ortiz Torres v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 67 Judge: Justice Shore Date heard: January 17, 2011 Date decided: January 26, 2011 Counsel for Ortiz Torres: Adela Crossley Counsel for Minister: Kareena R. Wilding Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicants were a family from Mexico, who claimed on the basis that they were in fear of the Los Zetas gang, which had influence

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-6737593196667082772011-08-02T21:10:00.001-04:002011-08-02T21:10:52.511-04:00Cruz Pineda—gang violence as particularized risk

Cruz Pineda v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 81 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Kelen Date heard: January 12, 2010 Date decided: January 24, 2011 Counsel for Cruz Pineda: Patrick J. Roche Counsel for Minister: Jane Stewart Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant requested judicial review of the decision of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) denying the Applicant’s claim for

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-69275057825171778892011-08-02T20:34:00.001-04:002011-08-02T20:34:42.519-04:00Wisdom—insufficient weight to psychiatric assessment

Judge: Justice Beaudry Date heard: January 18, 2010 Date decided: January 21, 2011 Counsel for Wisdom: Debbie Mankovitz and Simon Gruda Counsel for Minister: Sébastien Dasylva Place of Hearing: Montréal, Quebec This was a review of the refusal of the Applicant’s application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds (para. 1). The Applicant asserted that he was a national of Sierra Leone,

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-12543363441514137052011-08-02T20:22:00.001-04:002011-08-02T20:22:38.765-04:00Anthonipillai—unreasonable credibility assessment

Anthonipillai v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 66 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Shore Date heard: January 18, 2010 Date decided: January 21, 2011 Counsel for Anthonipillai: Krassina Kostadinov Counsel for Minister: Lorne McClenaghan Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario In this extremely brief decision, Justice Shore notes that “The Applicant has countered every single finding the RPD made

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-38579108037400588492011-08-01T23:33:00.001-04:002011-08-01T23:36:53.334-04:00MPSEP v. Nosa—detention review, JR moot

Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Nosa, 2011 FC 76 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Martineau Date heard: October 6, 2010 Date decided: January 21, 2011 Counsel for Nosa: Idorenyin E. Amana, Esq. Counsel for Minister: Helen Gray Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The Minister applied for a judicial review of a Member of the Immigration Division’s (ID) decision to release Nosa from

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-60578726408938764042011-08-01T22:54:00.001-04:002011-08-01T22:54:19.834-04:00Gomes Sousa—failure to assess gender issues in state protection

Gomes Sousa v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 63 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Noël Date heard: January 17, 2011 Date decided: January 20, 2011 Counsel for Gomes Sousa: Laura Setzer Counsel for Minister: Helene Robertson Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The applicant and her son (the minor applicant) were nationals of Brazil. They fled the abuse of the applicant’s former spouse, Marcus,

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-85592451001413232272011-08-01T22:30:00.001-04:002011-08-01T22:31:13.295-04:00Umubyeyi—interpretation errors

Umubyeyi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 69 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Noël Date heard: January 17, 2011 Date decided: January 19, 2011 Counsel for Umubyeyi: Isaac Owusu-Sechere Counsel for Minister: Korinda McLaine Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The applicant is a Rwandan national whose refugee claim was denied on the basis that her testimony was vague, and the applicant alleged

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-39699415930747737922011-08-01T21:54:00.001-04:002011-08-01T21:54:28.084-04:00Aguilar Zacarias—gang targeting as particularized risk

Aguilar Zacarias v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 62 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Noël Date heard: January 17, 2011 Date decided: January 19, 2011 Counsel for Aguilar Zacarias: Laïla Demirdache Counsel for Minister: Korinda McLaine Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The applicant was a Guatemalan national who claimed persecution at the hands of the Maras Salvatruchas (MS) gang,

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-23806868468075044272011-08-01T16:52:00.001-04:002011-08-01T16:52:27.978-04:00Liang—claim supported by documentary evidence, unreliable evidence from agent of persecution

Liang v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 65 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Shore Date heard: January 19, 2011 Date decided: January 19, 2011 Counsel for Kumar: Hart A. Kaminker Counsel for Minister: Alex C. Kam Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The applicant was a Chinese national who made a refugee claim on the basis of her belonging to an underground church (para. 8). The Refugee

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-56558186929640121162011-08-01T16:38:00.001-04:002011-08-01T16:38:20.887-04:00Josile—women as a particular social group

Josile v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 39 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Martineau Date heard: December 8, 2010 Date decided: January 17, 2011 Counsel for Josile: Russell L. Kaplan Counsel for Minister: Helene Robertson Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The applicant was a female Haitian national who had left Haiti in 2005 and had a refugee claim rejected in the United States, following

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-24874441782764637542011-08-01T16:11:00.001-04:002011-08-01T16:11:20.986-04:00Kumar—failure to assess credibility

Kumar v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 45 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Bédard Date heard: January 11, 2011 Date decided: January 17, 2011 Counsel for Kumar: Michel Le Brun Counsel for Minister: Isabelle Brochu Place of Hearing: Montreal, Ontario The applicant was an Indian national of the Hindu religion from the Punjab region who alleged persecution on the basis of his having

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-79033434954325234642011-07-28T23:48:00.001-04:002011-07-28T23:48:47.269-04:00Sökmen–misapprehending medical evidence and failing to consider ability and willingness to pay for treatment

Sökmen v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 47 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Martineau Date heard: December 6, 2010 Date decided: January 17, 2011 Counsel for Sökmen: Nicole Goulet Counsel for Minister: Agnieszka Zagorska Place of Hearing: Ottawa, Ontario The Applicant was a Turkish national whose family’s application for permanent residence had been rejected by the visa officer in Ankara

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-9672533411873949632011-07-28T23:22:00.001-04:002011-07-28T23:22:22.959-04:00Borisovna Abbasova–applicability of Gender Guidelines and failure to consider psychological issues in credibility

Borisovna Abbasova v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 43 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Shore Date heard: January 10, 2011 Date decided: January 14, 2011 Counsel for Borisovna Abbasova: Denise Feret Counsel for Minister: Christine Bernard Place of Hearing: Montréal, Quebec This was judicial review of a pre-removal risk assessment decision turning on the Gender Guidelines. Justice Shore

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-60570787177650740812011-06-23T19:36:00.001-04:002011-06-23T19:36:27.770-04:00Muhari—considering the totality of evidence and discrimination in refugee case

Muhari v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 27 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Scott Date heard: December 15, 2010 Date decided: January 12, 2011 Counsel for Muhari: Michel Le Brun Counsel for Minister: Emilie Tremblay Place of Hearing: Montréal, Quebec The principal Applicant and his family were of Hungarian ethnicity but Serbian citizenship. They arrived in Canada on visitors visas in

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-41701248226362119362011-06-23T19:24:00.001-04:002011-06-23T19:24:39.600-04:00Premaratne—unusual remedy

Premaratne v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 30 Judge: Justice Snider Date heard: January 11, 2011 Date decided: January 12, 2011 Counsel for Premaratne: T. Viresh Fernando Counsel for Minister: Kareena R. Wilding Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant was a 28-year-old citizen of Sri Lanka who applied for a study permit to allow her to come attend an eight-month course

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-84925789345196448342011-05-24T08:23:00.001-04:002011-05-24T08:23:25.749-04:00Republicans have souls, Minnesota edition

From BoingBoing: Minnesota GOP legislator makes passionate speech in support of marriage equality Few things in life will make me tear up faster than people whose politics I disagree with generally, passionately and courageously supporting a universal human right. Gives a little boost to my waning hope for the human race.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-80374167715080762502011-05-19T17:26:00.001-04:002011-05-19T17:26:16.161-04:00Persaud–wrong application of Mobil Oil

Persaud v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 31 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Hughes Date heard: January 11, 2011 Date decided: January 12, 2011 Counsel for Persaud: Robert Blanshay Counsel for Minister: Brad Gotkin Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant was a citizen of Guyana who had married a Canadian citizen and been sponsored and came to Canada as a permanent resident

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-35353516859709975102011-05-12T13:32:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:46:55.512-04:00Raina–equivalency of offenses

Raina v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 19 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Heneghan Date heard: July 13, 2010 Date decided: January 11, 2011 Counsel for Raina: Krassina Kostadinov Counsel for Minister: Amy Lambiris, Manuel Mendelzon Place of Hearing: Toronto, Ontario The Applicant was a citizen of India who claimed refugee protection after coming to Canada in 2006 (para. 2). Before coming

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-37358664549703383862011-05-06T15:00:00.001-04:002011-05-06T15:00:21.789-04:00Sharpe–fair consideration of the evidence in medical inadmissibility, unusual remedy

Sharpe v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 21 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Phelan Date heard: December 15, 2010 Date decided: January 11, 2011 Counsel for Becerra Vazquez: Mr. Michael Greene Counsel for Minister: Mr. Rick Garvin Place of Hearing: Calgary, Alberta This was the second judicial review of the decision that the Applicant’s dependant son was medically inadmissible. The

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-23871987365758331092011-05-06T13:12:00.001-04:002011-05-06T13:12:19.150-04:00Becerra Vazquez–cumulative errors in assessing credibility

Becerra Vazquez v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 9 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Pinard Date heard: December 2, 2010 Date decided: January 6, 2011 Counsel for Becerra Vazquez: Me Stephen Fogarty Counsel for Minister: Ms. Sara Gauthier (student-at-law), Me Evan Liosis The Applicant was a citizen of Mexico who worked for a newspaper. Although not a reporter, he was sent to cover a secret

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-1016566474446318722011-05-06T12:49:00.001-04:002011-05-06T12:49:49.425-04:00Kirichenko–failure to deal with relevant evidence on conscientious objection

Kirichenko v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 12 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Russell Date heard: October 28, 2010 Date decided: January 6, 2011 Counsel for Kirichenko: Geraldine MacDonald Counsel for Minister: Gordon Lee The Applicant is a citizen of Russia by birth and Israel by marriage. He claimed refugee protection in Canada due to fear of returning to either country (para. 2). The

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-32676906181437211742011-05-05T15:41:00.001-04:002011-05-05T15:41:33.637-04:00Perez Mendoza–state protection analysis must be contextual

Perez Mendoza v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 119 (CanLII) Judge: Justice Lemieux Date heard: November 19, 2009 Date decided: February 4, 2010 Counsel for Perez Mendoza: Alyssa Manning Counsel for Minister: Khatidja Moloo The Applicant was a citizen of Mexico who had applied for refugee protection in Canada and had been denied. The issue was whether he had rebutted the

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-41596015962630352192011-05-05T15:17:00.001-04:002011-05-05T15:17:40.307-04:00Kaleja–failure to properly consider country conditions and discrimination versus persecution

Kaleja v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 252 (CanLII) Judge: Justice O'Keefe Date heard: October 14, 2009 Date decided: March 4, 2010 Counsel for Kaleja: Max Berger Counsel for Minister: Kevin Doyle The Applicants were a father and daughter from the Czech republic of Roma ethnicity who had claimed refugee protection in Canada, and their claims had been denied by the RPD (para. 1).

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-22778578919523696662011-05-05T15:01:00.001-04:002011-05-05T15:01:14.973-04:00All Immigration Law Posts To Date

Afanasyev v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 737 Champagne v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2009 FC 1204 (quote only) Diaz v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 797 Gurshomov v. Canada (MPSEP), 2010 FC 1212 Hinzman v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FCA 177 (quote only) Huang v. Canada (MCI), 2010 FC 1217 Kadah v. Canada (MCI), 2010 FC 1223 Kaur v.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-21242264683729589822011-04-23T19:15:00.001-04:002011-04-23T19:15:24.867-04:00Pusat–procedural fairness and disclosure in inadmissibility

Pusat v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 428 Judge: Justice Mosley Date heard: January 24, 2011 Date decided: April 7, 2011 Counsel for Pusat: Lorne Waldman Counsel for the Minister: John Loncar The applicant was an Alevi Kurd who applied oversees as a member of the family class. His wife was a Canadian permanent resident who had been granted refugee status some years before and

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-7789957567582211092011-04-23T18:30:00.001-04:002011-04-23T18:30:40.541-04:00Sapru–adequate reasons in medical inadmissibility

Sapru v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FCA 35 Panel: Dawson J.A., Layden-Stevenson J.A., Stratas J.A. Date heard: December 14, 2010 Date decided: February 1, 2011 For the Appellants: Cecil Rotenberg, Q.C.; Mario Bellissimo For the Minister: Lorne McClenaghan The reasons were written by Dawson J.A.. The case was an appeal from 2010 FC 240, wherein the following questions were

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-59099924610781253052011-03-20T11:01:00.001-04:002011-03-20T11:01:15.309-04:00Against Unnecessary Faxes

I have long adored the above comic from Achewood.* Now I can follow it up with this article from Slate: Kill Your Fax Machine. *The cartoonist, Chris Onstad, has a thing allowing embedded comics, but it doesn’t play well with my blog app. So I cheated.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-26724865273776309482011-03-06T09:33:00.001-05:002011-03-06T09:33:43.082-05:00Resistance is futile?

So France has finally crossed that line and on April 11 their reprehensible “burqa ban” comes into force. See JURIST roundup here. CNN posted a story featuring this picture: With a caption reading “A survey in 2010 found that more than four out of five French people backed a ban on wearing the burqa in public places.” Uhm… They do know that’s a woman’s BACK, right? I mean, note the carriage in

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-322891969197843832011-03-05T13:00:00.001-05:002011-03-05T13:00:56.519-05:00Amazing Daily Show Segment on Batman’s Muslim Ally

Not embeddable? But see here.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-34018606090440914852010-12-17T14:38:00.001-05:002010-12-17T14:38:31.047-05:00Kadah—failure to consider relevant evidence

Kadah v. Canada (MCI), 2010 FC 1223 Issued: December 3, 2010 Presiding: Justice O’Keefe For the Applicant: Michael F. Battista For the Minister: Amy King This case was a judicial review of a finding that the Applicant, a homosexual Arab Israeli, was not a refugee on the basis that there was sufficient state protection in Israel. There was no question of the Applicant’s credibility, or that he had

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-75979760599924095062010-12-16T11:09:00.001-05:002010-12-16T11:09:23.816-05:00Gurshomov–failure to consider relevant circumstances on deferral

Gurshomov v. Canada (MPSEP), 2010 FC 1212 Issued: December 1, 2010 Presiding: Justice Phelan For the Applicant: Aviva Basman and Jennifer Egsgard, Refugee Law Office For the Minister: Laden Shahrooz The Applicant entered Canada with her husband and children in 2003. Their refugee claim was denied, and an H&C application was filed in May 2004 by the husband (para. 2). In 2008, the Applicant

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-19152781873321689762010-12-16T11:08:00.001-05:002010-12-16T11:08:55.296-05:00Huang–lack of procedural fairness in renewing a temporary residence/study permit

Huang v. Canada (MCI), 2010 FC 1217 Issued: December 2, 2010 Presiding: Justice Phelan For the Applicant: Mario Bellissimo For the Minister: Nicole Paduraru The Applicant was a student from Taiwan who had been in Canada on temporary status since 1997 when he was 12 years old. The judicial review was of the denial of his most recent request for an extension of his temporary resident permit and

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-50778916718847865792010-10-01T15:05:00.001-04:002010-10-01T15:05:57.553-04:00Kaur – failure to consider all evidence on H&C

Kaur v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 805 The applicant was a widow in her seventies who had moved to Canada to be with her children after the death of her husband. The decision under review was to not grant her permanent residence from within Canada on H&C grounds. In his reasons, the Officer had stated: “I do not believe that this person would suffer an unusual, undue or

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-83334124547328128162010-10-01T14:57:00.001-04:002010-10-01T14:57:46.226-04:00Zemo – PRRA refusal errors on new evidence and no hearing

The applicant, a female former refugee claimant from Eritrea, made a pre-removal-risk-assessment application on the basis that she was a member of the Eritrean Liberation Front and a member of an unregistered church, and as such would be at risk if returned to Eritrea. Both grounds had previously been advanced and rejected. She also made a third, new argument, that she would be at risk as a

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-8557201720414306602010-10-01T14:41:00.001-04:002010-10-01T14:41:59.411-04:00Diaz – refugee board fails in credibility analysis

Diaz v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 797 In a case of a family from Colombia, Justice Zinn found that the RPD’s decision on negative credibility could not stand. The principal applicant testified that she could not be sure if the agents of persecution were FARC or a drug cartel, but this was not relevant to an assessment of risk under s. 97 (para. 19). The Board could have found

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-16774428547817927502010-08-11T11:09:00.001-04:002010-08-11T11:09:10.111-04:00Gingrich abuses history on Cordoba House issue

As carefully explained at Got Medieval: Professor Newt's Distorted History Lesson Newt Gingrich’s claims about how the proposed Cordoba House (or “Ground Zero Mosque” as it is often erroneously called) is named after a massive symbol of Muslim imperialism is so very, very wrong. (Not mentioned in the post, although raised in the comments, is that the Cordoba mosque is currently a symbol of

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-47865174070549459522010-08-09T08:54:00.001-04:002010-08-09T08:54:16.377-04:00Ladies and Gentlemen, Stephen Fry

A brilliant, brilliant commentary on gender identity and the Will/Jack debate by the always engaging Mr. Fry: There was a time when polari and Julian and Sandy and limp-wristed mincing and winking innuendo were all that came between a certain kind of gay man and his pride, his self-respect and his ability to hold his head high in a hostile world. Read Quentin Crisp’s The Naked Civil Servant

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-4834669660099588972010-08-03T09:20:00.001-04:002010-08-03T09:22:13.986-04:00Judge geeks out—AWESOMELY—in Gaiman v. Mcfarlane

From the always fantastic Hijinks Ensue, a fragment of today’s excellent comic: Go see the whole thing: Let your geek gavel fly

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-10569107977066161412010-08-02T11:56:00.001-04:002010-08-02T11:56:38.618-04:00Good news, if true: Israel to cooperate with UN probe

From the Beeb: Israel to co-operate with UN probe into Gaza flotilla

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-42788632465480987812010-08-02T11:36:00.001-04:002010-08-02T11:36:55.504-04:00Three cheers for a strong judiciary

I was all prepared to get huffy when this came up on my RSS feeder: Judging the judges Is the Supreme Court becoming a threat to parliament? The article is not anti-judge, as I’d feared, but rather about a strong (activist?) judiciary being a necessary bulwark against a strong executive and a weak legislature. I, of course, always prefer a strong judiciary (assuming they are also

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-20693088043079912212010-07-27T14:08:00.001-04:002010-07-27T14:08:34.190-04:00Federal Court Key Quotes: Failure to Consider Evidence

Courtesy of Justice Russell in Champagne v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2009 FC 1204 [26] Not having regard for the totality of the evidence is an error of law. See Toro v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1981] 1 F.C. 652, [1980] F.C.J. No. 192. A claim in which the basic facts have been misconstrued should be set aside. Indeed, the Court has held that

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-39368068538012138942010-07-27T13:55:00.002-04:002010-07-27T13:56:07.432-04:00Afanasyev - inadmissibility for espionage, no need for formal relief submissions

Afanasyev v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 737 Decision by de Montigny granting judicial review of inadmissibility under s. 34 (and refusal to grant Ministerial relief under s. 34(2)). The Applicant served in the Soviet military from 1985 to 1987, and reported on radio transmissions; he was declared inadmissible under 34(a) and (f), namely: engaging in an act of espionage or

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-23135553038948032512010-07-26T17:10:00.003-04:002010-07-26T17:20:24.065-04:00Singh (Yadwinder) - requirement for a passport to be landed

Singh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 757Decision of Justice de Montigny. The Applicant sought declatory relief and mandamus, where Citizenship and Immigration Canada had refused to confirm his status as a permanent resident because he did not personally have his passport available. He did not have his passport because it had been seized (the Applicant had a receipt) and appeared

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-71685166396392117392010-07-26T17:06:00.002-04:002010-07-26T17:09:24.339-04:00Sandhu - skilled worker - officer must seek clarification

Sandhu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 759A decision of Justice Mandamin allowing judicial review on a refusal of a skilled worker application by Canadian High Commission, New Delhi.On the on hand, "a Visa Officer is not obliged to notify applicants of inadequacies in their applications" (para. 25)However:[33] When a Visa Officer has a doubt which has no foundation in the facts

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-76445024493629353482010-07-26T16:53:00.001-04:002010-07-26T16:55:15.026-04:00Hinzman -- FCA Decision on H&C for war resisters

CanLII - 2010 FCA 177 (CanLII):Key Quotation:[39] My conclusion should not be seen as altering the discretion ofofficers making decisions on section 25 applications, nor as giving theappellants a “right to a particular outcome or to the application of aparticular legal test” (Suresh v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship andImmigration), 2002 SCC 1 (CanLII), 2002 SCC 1; [2002] 1 S.C.R. 3).[40]

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-50588619904672096882010-07-26T07:37:00.000-04:002010-07-26T07:37:22.668-04:00David Mitchell on burqas

If Britain decides to ban the burqa I might just start wearing one | Comment is free | The ObserverI love this man.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-54231225137292072192010-07-08T21:13:00.000-04:002010-07-08T21:13:09.662-04:00The CNN/Twitter/Hezbollah Debacle

CNN, Twitter and Why Hiding Journalists’ Opinions Is (Still) a Bad Idea - Tuned In - TIME.comJames Poniewozik has a good piece on this on his blog at TIME. My favourite part, though he doesn't pick up on it, is that when he queried CNN about their reasoning they said (and actually Nasr herself said): It was an error of judgment for Octavia Nasr to write such a simplistic tweet about the death of

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-16158945229388869052010-07-08T20:03:00.000-04:002010-07-08T20:03:35.996-04:00Federal Court - Zaatreh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Federal Court - Zaatreh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-25678507792716837302010-07-08T20:02:00.001-04:002010-07-08T20:02:20.974-04:00Federal Court - Golbom v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Federal Court - Golbom v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-42730381216843407192010-07-08T20:02:00.000-04:002010-07-08T20:02:00.281-04:00Federal Court - Osegueda Garcia v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Federal Court - Osegueda Garcia v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-55901224180873514162010-07-08T20:01:00.001-04:002010-07-08T20:01:45.463-04:00Federal Court - Aguinaldo v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Federal Court - Aguinaldo v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-18723956469631817772010-07-08T19:48:00.000-04:002010-07-08T19:48:49.029-04:00July 2, 2010 - Parmar - positive JR on excessive demand, social services

Federal Court - Parmar v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-34783483486822861342010-07-01T19:15:00.000-04:002010-07-01T19:15:10.719-04:00Excellent news: Rangzieb Ahmed allowed to appeal

JURIST - Paper Chase: UK court allows appeal of terrorism charges based on torture claims

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-34516192036588478152010-06-29T19:34:00.000-04:002010-06-29T19:34:44.166-04:00Afghan women imprisoned for "moral crimes"

"Enter the cells of the Badam Bagh prison in Kabul, Afghanistan, and what culprits will you find locked up inside? A 16-year old recipient of an unplanned marriage proposal, a pregnant wife irrationally accused of adultery, and a veiled old woman who just displayed a "bad attitude."""Bad attitudes" land Afghan women in jail | FP Passport

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-84404591111096035442010-06-29T19:22:00.000-04:002010-06-29T19:22:10.124-04:00Amazing Church Sign Win

Church Sign Win - FAIL Blog: Epic Fail Funny Pictures and Funny Videos of Owned, Pwned and Fail Moments

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-34194058607937327332010-06-09T17:21:00.000-04:002010-06-09T17:21:04.617-04:00Old but scary news--turning your cell into a bug is not sci-fi

FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool - CNET News

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-33359623527892622262010-06-07T01:12:00.000-04:002010-06-07T01:12:27.245-04:00Law School Study

Oh Marshall, coiner of my favourite phrase...Hat-tip to Law Is Cool

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-16585293146814592202010-06-01T09:07:00.000-04:002010-06-01T09:07:40.798-04:00Good collection of video and links on aid convoy attack from Boing Boing

The "flotilla video": Israeli troops storm boat with aid supplies bound for Gaza Strip - Boing Boing

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-75064686159657995202010-06-01T08:55:00.000-04:002010-06-01T08:55:21.240-04:00I have the ears of a person half my age (well, 2-3 years younger)

Created by Oatmeal

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-55901775486365163982010-05-31T09:55:00.000-04:002010-05-31T09:55:30.058-04:00BBC News - Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship

BBC News - Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-80638671409150674622010-05-18T12:48:00.001-04:002010-05-18T12:49:39.297-04:00Financial Times pulls striking Amnesty International ad

Financial Times chickens out, refuses to run Amnesty's anti-Shell Oil ad - Boing Boing

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-22523072354223305142010-05-12T07:39:00.000-04:002010-05-12T07:40:24.513-04:00Worry

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-4611247101620987372010-05-09T11:14:00.002-04:002010-05-11T11:28:54.430-04:00Babies are not Mogwais

If there is one thing more annoying than the enormous strollers that seem to have become the norm, especially on the TTC, it is the huge clear vinyl tarps bunched up around them, adding to their already Hummer-analagous footprint. All of these infant-land-yachts have awnings anyway, so the oxygen tent\Hazmat containment system is NOT necessary. Babies don't melt if they get a little rain on them,

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-26783123612047123422010-05-02T09:57:00.001-04:002010-05-02T09:59:21.939-04:00DUH-duh, DUH-duh, DUH-duh

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-74071029166336853552010-04-20T23:29:00.001-04:002010-04-20T23:32:42.437-04:00Most apocalyptic photo ever

From Astronomy Photo of the Day

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-65596012640225626112010-03-29T08:26:00.000-04:002010-03-29T08:26:54.362-04:00It is just possible this shirt was designed for me

Kawaii Not: the webcomic for cute gone bad!

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-72035730029416400572010-03-27T17:27:00.000-04:002010-03-27T17:27:47.801-04:00Dear Iceland: My feminism includes pasties

I was directed to this article by a friend on facebook: Iceland: the world's most feminist country |Life and style |The GuardianAnd my first thought was: wait, what?*Did the whole sex-positive movement skip Iceland? What about the personal liberties, the government has no place in our bedroom movement? Granted, sex-workers do seem to be the world's primary target for exploitation, but I was under

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-45859821582165522212010-03-24T11:54:00.000-04:002010-03-24T11:54:45.483-04:00Frankly bizarre NP comment: Obama is "ruining America"

Oh National Post...you never fail to bring the crazy.George Jonas: [Obama is] Ruining America — coolly, calmly and collectedly - Full Comment

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-86214400126703787822010-03-12T16:17:00.001-05:002010-03-12T16:17:58.211-05:00Elevation

People who take elevators to OR ESPECIALLY FROM the 2nd floor during the busiest time of the day need to learn to use the stairs.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-43642342303626653392010-03-07T20:57:00.000-05:002010-03-07T20:57:57.150-05:00Blergh

Why is it that cough syrup tastes so incredibly heinous? Is it because they assume something that tastes like hell is less likely to become a street drug?Or maybe it's the alcohol, menthol, D&C Red 33, FD&C Red 40, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (which is some sort of licorice extract?), polyethylene glycol, sodium benzoate, sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose, sodium citrate, sodium cyclamate (gross!),

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-41593057721050736692010-03-04T12:26:00.000-05:002010-03-04T12:26:06.673-05:00Hard-hit Iraq city sees rise in birth defects

As reported by the Beeb here: BBC News - Disturbing story of Fallujah's birth defectsAnd more stories here: Google NewsNow, it's possible--and this is certainly what's being hinted about--that there was some sort of bio-weapon used that is causing this. But I wouldn't be surprised if the regular weapons used by all sides don't have teratogenic properties.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-70417494719234566502010-02-20T10:01:00.001-05:002010-02-20T10:01:46.254-05:00The Definition

If war is diplomacy by other means, than an entirely puposive definition of terrorism can't work. If terrorism is just the use of violence to acheive a political end or send a message, then isn't all warfare terrorism? Would we prefer killing for the sole atavistic joy of bloodlust satisfied?Similarly, tactics common to assymmetric warfare cannot make it terrorism. Guerilla warfare, even suicide

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-69650731768406464632010-02-10T22:30:00.001-05:002010-02-10T22:30:56.091-05:00My life in SCRABBLE

After a rather successful game of SCRABBLE on my iPod Nano on the bus home, I decided to check my stats. Best word: 48 points… JIHAD *le huge sigh*

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-66810959893194544892010-02-09T18:28:00.001-05:002010-02-09T18:28:51.454-05:00The problem of “privilege”

NB: I’ll say it throughout this post, but let me be perfectly clear: I am totally down with the concept of “privilege”, I just think the phrase is inexact, and that bothers me. I was having a discussion last night with some friends/colleagues (frilleagues?) about—well, all sorts of sociological and philosophical things, and at one point, the conversation turned to “privilege”. We were the three

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-6824390482744953322010-02-06T09:59:00.000-05:002010-02-06T09:59:29.719-05:00Diplomatic problem surprisingly full of win

Pakistani ambassador rejected because his name is NSFW in Arabic | FP Passport

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-988942261788368612010-01-24T15:16:00.000-05:002010-01-24T15:16:15.058-05:00Another entry in my "weird/awesome traditional and customary law" collection

CBC News - Nova Scotia - Surfing etiquette's up in court

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-85279085474917719292010-01-24T14:57:00.000-05:002010-01-24T14:57:17.646-05:00Asleep at the wheel?

CBC News - Toronto - TTC to investigate 'sleeping' fare collectorOkay, I'll start off with full disclosure: as someone with a sleeping disorder, it antagonizes me when people jump all over "laziness" as an explanation.But that aside: the dude fell asleep. He does a job which, like most service jobs, is probably super busy for a few minutes every shift, and brain-meltingly boring for the rest of

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-15361137264640472562010-01-22T11:46:00.000-05:002010-01-22T11:46:36.952-05:00If you're a journalist, should you just let people die?

Rather obviously not, I would say. I think as a reporter you have a moral duty to make getting the story out your first priority, and a sort of "prime directive" not to influence the story. However, if you can help without doing that, I think you have a secondary moral duty to try. This is even more obvious in the case of a doctor, who has sworn an oath to care for people, should do so.Why Sanjay

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-6675934221148534462010-01-22T11:27:00.000-05:002010-01-22T11:27:12.347-05:00Today in obvious news

CBC News - Ottawa - Harkat didn’t hide fake passport: lawyerThe fact the refugees use false passports because if they didn't, we'd prevent them from GETTING TO CANADA is one more in a long line of stuff we should not still have to litigate.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-83664822101225093432009-08-10T08:25:00.001-04:002009-08-10T08:25:30.424-04:00Dear Tim Hortons: Really?

Joe.My.God. reports that Tim Hortons is sponsoring an anti-gay-rights event held by the so-called “National Organization on Marriage” in Rhode Island: Tim Hortons Sponsors NOM Event. Now, Timmy Ho’s doesn’t strike me as being the world’s most progressive organization—I don’t see them sponsoring Pride events any time in the near future—but appending their corporate name to something this far

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-64049543382870855702009-08-03T02:23:00.001-04:002009-08-03T02:23:20.193-04:00Toronto Parks and Rec = Photoshop Disaster

So I headed over to the Toronto Parks and Rec site to see when my strike-affected yoga might recommence, and I was greeted by this monstrosity: Immediate reaction: check blogs to ensure this horrorshow has been recorded for posterity. And indeed it has, over at Photoshop Disasters, which even managed to acquire the original photo. City of Toronto: Token Brilliance And oh man, they cite a

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-14535867537661144572009-07-17T12:03:00.001-04:002009-07-17T12:03:48.798-04:00News Roundup

Toronto Star: Terrorism suspect on hunger strike at Kingston jail Ryerson Free Press: Secret trials in Canada Toronto Star: Czech Roma to sue board for `biases,' lawyer says Globe & Mail: Supreme Court rules on tainted evidence Montreal Gazette: Refugees to Canada in Catch-22 situation: Advocate

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-17019556518732010882009-07-02T17:05:00.001-04:002009-07-02T17:05:04.053-04:00Big step forward: “Gay sex decriminalised in India”

C/O the BBC: “Gay sex decriminalised in India”

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-46303731307965460172009-06-23T13:42:00.000-04:002009-06-23T13:42:37.035-04:00Re-donculous: Police go mental on Father's Day photoshoot

Dallas - Unfair Park - How a Heartwarming, Kick-Ass Father's Day Photo Shoot Ended Up Face Down in Handcuffs on the Addison Airport Tarmac

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-52649932351925829222009-06-21T14:24:00.002-04:002009-06-21T14:29:13.769-04:00Anonymous sources

BoingBoingGadgets has a story on the anonymous sourcing of info on Steve Job's health, which features this hilarious graphic: Given the reliance on such sources (both as human sources and as the initiators of press reports used as "evidence" in court cases, I fins this pretty funny.

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-48478098818831064632009-06-21T14:03:00.001-04:002009-06-21T14:06:05.906-04:00How to help with hashtags

From BoingBoing:Cyberwar guide for Iran elections

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36070574.post-63480378499819835002009-05-27T23:18:00.001-04:002009-05-27T23:18:17.830-04:00Is CSIS untrustworthy?

My personal and professional experience with them has been, let's say, uneven. Over the last few weeks especially, I have more than once declared that I was moving abroad out of lack of faith in the government, and especially the intelligence sector. This story is therefore both validating and infuriating: Judge orders recall of CSIS witnesses in Harkat case (CBC.ca)

Sarah L Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565535550818031578noreply@blogger.com1