COVID-19 legal cases: Vaccinations, supervised access
COVID-19 vaccination In Tarkowski v Lemieux 2020 CarswellOnt 8070 (C.J.), Justice Jones dealt with the issue of how the parents would make decisions about having their child vaccinated, when and if a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. The six-year-old daughter had lived primarily with the mother since the parents separated in 2015. There had been a…
Read moreTechnology can create problems as well as solve them
COVID-19 has shone a light on many issues across the province/country/world: issues that existed before the pandemic and that will remain with us after it is over. We have learned (and continue to learn) a great deal during this experience, and we can use that learning as we move through and past the pandemic. In…
Read moreRecent COVID-19 case: Denial of access
Robinson v Darrah 2020 O.J. No. 2016, Ontario Superior Court of Justice: The father brought a motion to have his access to the child resumed and for police assistance in ensuring compliance. The child has lived with the mother since the parties separated in mid 2015, when the child was a few months old. The…
Read moreCOVID legal cases: Removing a child, self-help measures, urgency, parenting arrangements, case conferences
Removing a child from Ontario during pandemic Gillespie v Jones, 2020 CarswellOnt 5720 (S.C.J.): The child and mother live in Ontario, pursuant to a 2017 order from a British Columbia court, where they had been living following the parents’ separation. The father remained in B.C. and was scheduled to spend a week with the child…
Read moreThe Smarter and Stronger Justice Act could jeopardize access to justice for women fleeing abuse
Our Legal Director, Pamela Cross, appeared before Standing Committee on Justice Policy – Bill 161: The Stronger and Smarter Justice Act on June 10, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak with you about this Bill. Luke’s Place Support and Resource Centre, where I am the Legal Director, provides…
Read moreLaws alone are only part of answer
Since Gabriel Wortman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia in April, there has been much talk about what needs to be done to stop anything like this from happening again. While the police were slow with their acknowledgement, it is now established that Wortman had a long history of violent and threatening behaviour, in particular,…
Read moreWebinar: Supporting women who live in rural and remote communities
Women living in rural and remote communities face unique challenges when they decide to leave an abusive relationship, including distance, lack of services, isolation and limited access to lawyers. This webinar presents tips and strategies for supporting women who are facing these and other barriers, with a focus on women’s emotional and physical safety. This…
Read moreRacial injustice: Considerations from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses
As a member of OAITH, Luke’s Place strongly supports and shares their message in response to racial injustices. The Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH) acknowledges the recent events of racial injustice during the past week. These acts of racial injustice and anti-Black racism are creating conscious movement-building resulting in what could be…
Read moreWill Canada’s new Divorce Act keep women and children fleeing abuse safe? The gaps – Part 3/3
The revised Divorce Act, coming into effect on July 1, 2020, offers both pros and cons for survivors of family violence. The pros outweigh the cons, and create the potential for parents who have left an abusive relationship and who use the federal statute to establish parenting arrangements to be better served by the law…
Read moreCOVID legal cases: Guidelines & using court resources
More guidelines from Justice Pazaratz Justice Pazaratz sits as the triage judge in the Superior Court of Justice in Hamilton. He has seen a significant number of cases during the pandemic and has had to make decisions about whether or not those cases meet the standard of urgent as set by Chief Justice Morawetz in…
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