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Podcast Episode · Queen's Faculty of Law: QLaw Pod · March 25 · 51m

This article explores the relationship between legal ethics and restorative justice. It argues that the legal profession should be reoriented around restorative justice as the moral foundation of a more progressive approach to legal ethics and professional responsibility. It translates concepts from restorative justice into ethical terms, grounding ideas about interdependence, community involvement, and public accountability into a list of restorative principles that can be readily applied in the practice of law, and recommending a series of practices and regulatory measures that are consistent with a restorative principles-based approach. Ultimately, the article shows that such an approach has the potential to raise the moral consciousness of lawyers, facilitate collaboration within communities and across systems, and redefine the role of lawyers in the administration of justice, transforming conditions of law and society in a more equitable direction.

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Police are reanimating years-old injunctions to threaten activists, casting a chill over protests and free speech

"Blockchain Technology and the Law: Opportunities and Risks was one of the first texts to offer a critical analysis of Blockchain and the legal and economic challenges faced by this new technology. It offered those who are unfamiliar with Blockchain an introduction as to how the technology works and demonstrates how a legal framework that governs it can be used to ensure that it can be successfully deployed. This second edition features a discussion of issues that did not exist at the time the first edition was published, presenting new topics will help to reinforce the central premise of the book that the acceptability of Blockchain-based applications will depend on whether they can enhance efficiency and lower transactions costs. Significant new content added to this edition includes an examination of the proliferation of new applications of distributed ledger technology, such as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and, in the payments realm, Stablecoins and proposals that relate to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). High-profile incidents in the payments realm (for instance, the DAO case and a new case currently working its way through the Canadian and American Courts, the Cicada case, as well as Celsius and FTX) and also in the securities realm have forced regulators around the globe to take a hard look at enforcing existing regulations more vigorously, and promulgating new ones where existing regulations may be found lacking. There have also been new changes on the privacy law side (with respect to open banking proposals) and in the emergence of what is referred to as "big data" generally. These and other developments have led to a consideration of new legal issues that had not been considered at the time of the original book; as a result the second edition is greatly expanded throughout and features two new chapters. The book is written for practicing lawyers, jurists and academics. It should be found on the shelves of libraries of law firms and law faculties, business schools and universities in general"-- Provided by publisher

"Cybersecurity is often examined through the lens of national security and organizational risks, focusing on data breaches and the technical and legal measures to prevent, address, and mitigate them. However, another critical dimension is the impact on individual security and dignity. This edited collection explores the legal and technical aspects of self-security, addressing issues such as technology-facilitated abuse, social media, the sharing culture, and reputational harm. With a distinct Canadian focus, it examines how the country’s policies, laws, and practices shape cybersecurity and individual protection. By providing insights into safeguarding personal security in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, this collection serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and individuals alike."-- Provided by publisher

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This chapter explores the promise of refuge encompassed within the Canadian domestic and international refugee regime. While relying on my own lived experience as a survivor of war fleeing to what is now known as Canada, I contrast the promises of

Some cryptocurrency advocates are promoting the use of stablecoins as a common currency, arguing that this new currency could help the cost-of-living crisis and promote economic equality – particularly for young people. Law professor, money expert and SCP Fellow Dan Rohde is not convinced that crypto can help address economic inequality. In this explainer, he breaks down what stablecoins are and aren’t, and how to think critically about their promises.

This article explores the relationship between legal ethics and restorative justice. It is commonly observed that there exists a "decline" in professionalism among Canadian lawyers today. One of the persistent concerns is that legal ethics rules and the "standard conception" of professional role morality that underpins them, the neutral partisan, fail to strike the correct balance between client interests and the public interest. Building on this idea, this article argues that the legal profession should be reoriented around restorative justice as the moral foundation of a more progressive approach to legal ethics and professional responsibility. It translates concepts from restorative justice into ethical terms, grounding ideas about interdependence, community involvement, and public accountability into a list of restorative principles that can be readily applied by lawyers, firms, and other kinds of law practices. The article concludes by recommending a series of lawyering practices and professional regulatory measures that are consistent with taking a restorative principles-based approach. Ultimately, the article shows that restorative justice offers more than an alternative path for lawyers in criminal law settings. It constitutes a distinct set of obligations that, once implemented as legal ethics, has the potential to raise the moral consciousness of lawyers, facilitate collaboration within communities and across systems, and redefine the role of lawyers in the administration of justice, transforming conditions of law and society in a more equitable direction.