UPDATE: This seminar occurred in the past, and the seminar materials are now available. You can use the LESA Library to access course materials or purchase course materials a la carte. Alternatively, you can view the complete list of upcoming seminars to discover live programs that are available now.
Wondering what’s new in constitutional law? Get an update on the latest developments at the second annual Constitutional Symposium on October 4 at the University of Alberta’s Lister Conference Centre.
The Constitutional Symposium is presented by the Centre for Constitutional Studies in association with the Legal Education Society of Alberta and is chaired by the Centre for Constitutional Studies’ Executive Director Patricia Paradis.
Designed specifically for those who have an interest in or who practice in the area of constitutional law, the Constitutional Symposium will be of special interest to a wide audience, including: criminal defense lawyers; labour lawyers; human rights lawyers and members of administrative tribunals; and lawyers specializing in aboriginal law and Charter litigation.
What’s on the Agenda?
Topics include:
- Key strategies in constitutional trial preparation
- Tribunals and Charter jurisdiction
- Saga of Section 15 and the Que v A case
- Métis rights cases
- Senate references
- Updates on Charter Sections 8 and 9.
Academic and Practical Perspectives
Many of the presenters are academics, giving an opportunity for the faculty and the bar to interact and connect on issues of constitutional importance thus enriching practice and constitutional dialogue.
“Presenters are provided with the opportunity to publish their papers in one of the Centre’s two publications: Constitutional Forum or the Review of Constitutional Studies. Last year we published a special issue of the Constitutional Forum (Forum 22.1) which featured several of the presentations at that Symposium.
Preparing a Constitutional Case
One of the presenters this year is Joe Arvay, a well-known constitutional litigator. Mr. Arvay has been counsel on a number of landmark constitutional law cases in the Supreme Court of Canada which include:
- Egan and Nesbit, the first Supreme Court of Canada decision to establish sexual orientation as a protected ground of discrimination under the Charter
- Little Sisters litigation, which dealt both with the powers of Canada Customs to censor sexual expression and the law of “advanced costs”
- Surrey School Board case, which established the right of teachers to use books about same sex families in elementary school
- “Same Sex Marriage” litigation
- Health Services, which established that collective bargaining is constitutionally protected under freedom of association
- Insite, which established the right of addicts to supervised injection
- Downtown Eastside Sex Workers case on the issue of public interest standing
Mr. Arvay was the lead counsel on the Carter v Canada (Attorney General) case in which the B.C. Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to physician assisted dying and which is now working its way through the appeal courts. He will present a special seminar on preparing a constitutional case at the trial level and will highlight:
- Building the evidentiary record
- Choice of procedure
- Finding plaintiffs
- Dealing with the media spotlight and how to establish the record at trial.
In addition, our keynote speaker is Hon. C. Lynn Smith QC, professor at University of British Columbia and former Justice of the Superior Court of British Columbia.
To find out more about the second annual Constitutional Symposium, visit www.lesa.org.
