IBA Concerned About Motives For New Judicial Appointments Process
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Letter to Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Justice
Read the Letter
Submissions to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding the demise of the Law Commission of Canada
Read the Submissions
IBA Announces 19th Annual Fall Conference focusing on Indigenous Legal Traditions
SASKATOON, SK, Oct. 21, 2006 – Indigenous Bar Association President, Jeffery Hewitt, announced to IBA fall conference delegates today the location and theme for the 19th annual IBA fall conference. “The IBA is pleased to announce that, in keeping with the direction received from membership and the IPC, the 19th annual IBA fall conference shall focus on Indigenous Legal Traditions and will be co-hosted with the University of Victoria Faculty of Law.” The 2007 annual conference is scheduled for October 18-20, 2007 in Victoria, BC. Further information regarding the 2007 annual conference will be provided through the IBA website and newsletter over the coming months.
The Fall 2006 Edition and the Special 2006 Student Edition of the IBA Newsletter are now available!
View the IBA Fall Newsletter 2006
View the Special 2006 Student Edition of the IBA Newsletter
Media Release: Access to Justice Stifled by Harper's New Government
RAMA, ON, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - "Tuesday's announcement by the Conservative Government of their intention to eviscerate the Law Commission of Canada and the Court Challenges Program, is a blow to access to justice for Aboriginal people and indeed all Canadians", said Indigenous Bar Association President, Jeffery Hewitt.
Yesterday Prime Minister Harper's New Government announced its plans to "eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs", including, among others, two key institutions promoting access to justice: the Law Commission of Canada and the Court Challenges Program.
View full media release
Call for Papers: Scow Institute Call for Papers on Aboriginal Issues
The Scow Institute for Communicating Information on Aboriginal Issues ("Scow Institute") issues a call for research papers ("Research Papers") and fact sheets ("Fact Sheets") with respect to several subject areas affecting Aboriginal people. The Scow Institute works towards greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples through information that is fact based, non-partisan, and accessible on topical issues that affect all Canadians.
View the Call for Papers
Presentation to AFN Indian Residential School Conference
The IBA presented to the AFN Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement Conference for Frontline Workers in Vancouver, BC on September 12th, 2006. The IBA presentation addressed Lawyers' Roles & Responsibilities in light of the May 8, 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
View the presentation and related links
Membership Surveys
The IBA Board is seeking input from all Indigenous law school students and law school graduates to help us further improve the IBA and ensure it is responsive to our membership’s needs. Complete an on-line survey and enter your name to win $300 credit towards your 2007 IBA conference fees. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Your feedback is important to us.
Law School Students Survey
Law School Graduates Survey
Paid and Volunteer Opportunities for Indigenous Law Grads
The Opportunities page on our website is updated regularly with postings from various organizations and businesses. If you have a job or volunteer position that you would like to have posted on our website contact our Administrator . We encourage our members to visit the Opportunities page regularly.
NSAHRC Hate Crimes Symposium Report – Now Available
The National Secretariat Against Hate & Racism in Canada, a national initiative of the IBA and diverse ethno-racial and faith-based community organizations to combat racism, commissioned papers and held a symposium in October 2005 on Hate Crimes, the Criminal Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, Ontario. The final report is now available.
View the report
Current Judicial Vacancies
Further to the work the IBA has done on the issue of Indigenous appointments to Canadian courts (see “Judicial Appointments” below), the Ontario Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee has asked that several judicial vacancies be brought to our membership’s attention.
For more information visit the “Job Postings and Other Opportunities” page which can be accessed through the “Opportunities” area of our home page (see below right). Postings for these and other legal positions are updated regularly.
Indigenous Lawyers Honoured
Several members of the IBA have recently been honoured by institutions such as the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation and the University of Toronto.
James (Sakej) Youngblood Henderson and Bernd Christmas are recent recipients of National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
Visit the NAAF website
Professor Darlene Johnston and Jean Teillet were recently recognized by the University of Toronto as “Trailblazers in the Legal Profession.” On International Women's Day, March 8th, 2006, the U of T Faculty of Law unveiled a permanent photo exhibit celebrating 19 remarkable women graduates who are trailblazers in the legal profession.
Visit the U of T Law website
Indigenous Law Students Participate in National Moot
Indigenous law students from across Canada participated in “Kawaskimhon: Speaking with Knowledge”, the National Aboriginal Rights Moot in Canada on March 2nd-4th, 2006 in Toronto. Osgoode Hall Law School hosted the Moot which explored a consensus based resolution to a labour dispute at a casino on a First Nation.
Visit the Moot website
Judicial Appointments
The IBA has been actively advocating for judicial appointments of Indigenous jurists to all appellate levels of Canadian Courts, and in particular to the Supreme Court of Canada. The IBA has commissioned several papers, made submissions to Parliamentary Committees, worked in partnership with other organizations and engaged in other activities to advocate for these Indigenous appointments to the Bench.
For more information re Judicial Appointments
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IBA awards the 2005 Indigenous Peoples’ Counsel (I.P.C.) distinction to James (Sakej) Youngblood Henderson …read more |
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