Blog

Le texte français suit.

The most recent issue of the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR) is available online. The CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL). It is an open access publication.

You can browse the regular sections of books reviews, bibliographic notes, local and regional updates, as well as news from the UK, the US and Australia.

And be sure to check out the feature articles: 

• "COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Experts Examining Legal Responses", Michele A. L. Villagran and Marcelo Rodríguez, p. 10:
  
  “Since March 2020, a group of librarians, professors, and legal professionals have been monitoring legal responses to COVID-19 throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Each member of the project is currently following various countries within this region. In this article, the authors will describe how the project was created and highlight the initial challenges in terms of securing and evaluating trustworthy sources of information in the middle of a pandemic. The authors will summarize the legal responses and any disinformation issues within the countries they have been monitoring: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Finally, the article will conclude with the authors enumerating the achievements of the group as well as future plans for the project.”
  
  
• "Anti-Black Racism Legal Resource Guide", Laura Viselli, p. 16:
  
  “The focus of this guide is to allow users to find legal materials regarding Anti-Black Racism in the Canadian context. Where possible, links to open sources are provided.”

Vous pouvez consulter les recensions de livres, la chronique bibliographique, les mises à jour locales et régionales de même que les nouvelles des États-Unis, du Royaume-Uni et de l'Australie.

Et ne manquez pas les nouveaux articles de fond:

• "COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Experts Examining Legal Responses", Michele A. L. Villagran and Marcelo Rodríguez, p. 10:
  
  "Depuis mars 2020, un groupe de bibliothécaires, de professeurs et de professionnels du droit suit les réponses juridiques à la COVID-19 émises dans toute l'Amérique latine et les Caraïbes. Chaque membre du projet suit actuellement divers pays de cette région. Dans cet article, les auteurs décrivent comment le projet a été créé et soulignent les défis initiaux en termes de sécurisation et d'évaluation de sources d'information fiables au milieu d'une pandémie. Les auteurs résument les réponses juridiques et les problèmes de désinformation dans les pays qu'ils ont surveillés : Argentine, Chili, Uruguay, Pérou, Bolivie et Paraguay. Enfin, les auteurs concluent en énumérant les réalisations du groupe ainsi que les plans futurs du projet." [sommaire]
  
  
• "Anti-Black Racism Legal Resource Guide", Laura Viselli, p. 16:
  
  “L'objectif de ce guide est de permettre aux utilisateurs de trouver des documents juridiques concernant le racisme envers les Noirs dans le contexte canadien. Dans la mesure du possible, des liens vers des sources ouvertes sont fournis.” [sommaire]

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Today: Read the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement

Since 1986 almost all federal Canadian regulations have included a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS).

Why should you read the RIAS? Unlike acts, you generally will not find a discussion of new regulations in Hansard. The RIAS tells you what the rationale was for a given regulation and what it was expected to achieve. A RIAS is usually divided into five sections: issue and objectives; description and rationale; consultation; implementation, enforcement, and service standards; and contact information.

Another benefit of Regulatory Impact Analysis Statements is that they are written for a range of readers. The target readers for the RIAS are “parliamentarians, ministers, TBS officials, members of the legal community, affected parties, and interested members of the public”. As a result, the instructions for writing a RIAS emphasize the use of clear language, stating that it should “be understandable to anyone who may wish to read it.”

The RIAS can be found at the beginning of the draft regulations published in the Canada Gazette Part I and at the end of the regulations published in the Canada Gazette Part II.

York University v Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright), 2021 SCC 32, was released just this morning. CALL/ACBD participated in this appeal, intervening on the question of fair dealing, an important topic for our legal information communities. We encourage all legal information and law library workers to review the reasons for judgment or the Case in Brief. Please also stay tuned for fuller remarks from our Copyight Committee.

This case marked the second occasion CALL/ACBD’s voice was heard in an intervention in Canada's highest court, advocating for fair access to and use of legal information for our wide-ranging communities. I am gratified not only with the ruling, which confirms its prior jurisprudence on this users right, but also that the court and other leading decision-makers are hearing CALL/ACBD's voice.

I congratulate our Copyright Committee for its work on this file. I also thank our pro bono lead counsel, Robert Janes, QC, for sharing his time and expertise. Finally, I wish to take this moment to thank and congratulate Justice Rosalie Abella for her illustrious service to the court and to the legal community in Canada.

The most recent episode on Legal Skies, a podcast produced by the Law Society of Saskatchewan, is about Law Librarians and their Role in Access to Justice.

It features three prominent CALL members, Alan Kilpatrick, Shaunna Mireau and Kim Nayyer:

"We discuss the important role information professionals (i.e. law librarians) play in the justice system and how they are helping expand public access to legal information. Our guests are Alan Kilpatrick, Co-Director of Legal Resources at the Law Society of Saskatchewan, Shaunna Mireau, Past-President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, and Kim Nayyer, Associate Dean of the Cornell Law School and President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries."

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Today: What is a Supplement?

By Susannah Tredwell, Manager of Library Services at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP in Vancouver (originally published June 23, 2021 as a SlawTip on the Slaw.ca website):

You will notice that some citations for acts contain the abbreviation “Supp.” (short for “supplement”). An example of this would be “Competition Tribunal Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 19 (2nd Supp.)”. But what does this mean?

The main volumes of R.S.C. 1985 contain acts that came into being before or on December 31, 1984, but R.S.C. 1985 was not brought into force until December 12, 1988. So what happened to all the legislation made between January 1, 1985 and December 11, 1988? If you guessed that they became the supplements to R.S.C. 1985 you would be correct; for example R.S.C. 1985 (1st Supp.) contains the acts that received Royal Assent in 1985 and R.S.C. 1985 (2nd Supp.) contains the acts that received Royal Assent in 1986.

The supplements to R.S.C. 1985 have different in force dates depending on which supplement they are in; the BC Courthouse Libraries has produced a helpful guide to the various in force dates.

You will also find supplements in provincial legislation, e.g. R.S.B.C. 1996 included any acts that had received Royal Assent but had not come into force as of December 31, 1996 (the cut off date for the Revised Statutes) as supplements.

Le texte français suit.

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Today: Finding Answers to Quebec Legal Questions

CAIJ is the Centre d’accès à l’information juridique. It is associated with the Barreau du Québec and it runs a network of some 40 libraries in the province’s courthouses.

It also operates the online suite of tools known as JuriBistro:

One of the tools is Questions de recherche - JuriBistro TOPO, a searchable/browsable knowledgebase of more than 5,000 legal research questions in 55 areas of law with the answers provided by CAIJ researchers – for each question, TOPO supplies relevant legislation and commentary.

The material is in French.

For example:

À qui appartient le fardeau de la preuve dans un recours en prescription acquisitive? (burden of proof in cases involving acquisitive prescription under the Quebec Civil Code):

If you are new to an area of research in Quebec civil law, try searching the collection of JuriBistro TOPO questions - it is possible that CAIJ experts have already identified the major sources (laws, cases, textbook sections and pages) on your issue.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Aujourd'hui: comment trouver des réponses à des questions sur le droit québécois

Le CAIJ est le Centre d’accès à l’information juridique qui est associé au Barreau du Québec et exploite un réseau de 40 bibliothèques et points de services dans les palais de justice. 

Sa plateforme numérique s'appelle Espace CAIJ avec sa banque d'outils de recherche JuriBistro:

Une des sous-collections est celle des Questions de recherche - JuriBistro TOPO, une banque de connaissances de plus de 5,000 questions de recherche indexées dans quelque 55 domaines de droit. Pour chacune, les chercheurs du CAIJ fournissent les sources législatives et doctrinales utiles.

Par exemple: À qui appartient le fardeau de la preuve dans un recours en prescription acquisitive?

Si vous ne connaissez pas un domaine en droit civil québécois, cherchez dans la collection de questions TOPO - il est possible que les experts du CAIJ aient déjà identifié les sources les plus pertinentes relatives à votre question (lois, jurisprudence et doctrine)

CALL's Diversity, Inclusion, & Decolonization Committee is shaken and troubled by the shocking attack on a three generation Muslim family in London, Ontario on June 6, 2021.

Our hearts go out to the 9-year-old survivor, the friends and relatives of the victims, and to the Muslim Community.

Hate has no place in a kind and just society.

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment run counter to the rights and freedoms Canada represents - the very reason for which many of us and our families came to this land. 

This terrorist attack is a reminder that we must do all we can to overcome racism in our community, workplace, and profession.

This senseless act shows that we all need to do our part in building a society that embraces the diversity in each of us and provides for inclusion so that we all have a sense of belonging in a world where equality is not lost. 

Alexandra Farolan, Library Assistant | Courthouse Libraries BC 

1.      Tell us a little about your educational background and how you entered the legal information industry.  

I am currently a Library Information and Technology Diploma student at Langara College. Prior to this, I worked on two certificate programs through the British Columbia Institute of Technology (Office Administrator with Technology and Medical Office Assisting). I worked as a registration and health records clerk for a few years in the hospitals. Managing patient records introduced me to the processes of information preservation and confidentiality which in turn piqued my interest in legislation pertaining to freedom of information. I've also had some personal experiences which have lead to my overall interest in examining opportunities in the legal industry. I generally find knowing more about my rights is empowering and being surrounded professionally in an industry that serves those who advocate and rally for rights is something I am excited to contribute to.

2.      How has being involved in CALL helped you professionally (e.g. scholarships & grants, continuing education, networking)?

I joined CALL in January 2020 so I am definitely still green, but I've found the professional development opportunities and connecting with other members to be incredibly supportive and educational. There are many opportunities here in the association to be a part of and to contribute to. I have really enjoyed being paired up as a mentee in the mentorship program as it has provided me in gaining more insight and perspective on the industry and provides opportunity for professional rapport. Being the Members and Projects Profiles Coordinator has been more challenging than I anticipated and meeting deadlines might be something to work on...In saying that, it has been great to learn and connect a bit more with our members where I otherwise may not have!  

3.      What was your first library-related job?

Not a job, but I was part of a volunteer program in 2004 to 2005 called Katimavik where people ages 18 to 23 would live with each other and volunteer in the community across three provinces. I had two library volunteer rotations: Bibliothèque Publique De Tracadie-Sheila in Tracadie-Shelia, New Brunswick and the Jasper Municipal Library in Jasper, Alberta. I enjoyed putting the books back on the shelves and seeing what people were reading. I also learned some basic library protocols such as processing materials to send to other branches, checking materials out to clients, and minor repairs. I also worked with a great team at Indigo Books in morning operations from 2018 to 2020. I've been in my role as a library assistant with CLBC for a little over a year which has provided much learning experience in processing and cataloging legal materials and professional development examining important topics including but not limited to, systemic racism, understanding trauma, Indigenous human rights, etc.      
  
4.  What’s one blog, website, or Twitter account that you can’t go one day without checking?  

As an information junkie, it is difficult to pick one. Here are a few links currently on rotation: 

rightsofchildren.ca https://vimeo.com/courthouselibrary

https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge - "For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity" 

and 

Ruby Ibarra - She is a Filipina-American rapper that started a scholarship called Pinays Rising which was created to support fellow Filipina-Americans who demonstrate excellence in arts and/or social activism in pursuing higher education.

5.      What are three things on your bucket list? 

I'm currently focused on short-term goals so I'll share those: finish reading Oral History on Trial : Recognizing Aboriginal Narratives in the Courts by Bruce Granville Miller, give my car a professional detail job all by myself, and complete my diploma program.

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Today: Sources for Finding Canadian Court Records

Members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries from across the country chipped in recently to compile a list of sources for obtaining court documents from different jurisdictions.

The idea came from Sarah Richmond, Manager of Research Services with the Vancouver law firm Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP.

Meris Bray, Reference Librarian at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, converted the information into a webpage.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Aujourd'hui: où trouver des dossiers judiciaires des différents tribunaux au Canada

Des membres de l'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit de toutes les régions du pays ont mis la main à la pâte récemment pour dresser une liste des sources où il est possible d'obtenir des documents relatifs aux instances judiciaires.

L'idée vient de Sarah Richmond, Gestionnaire des services de la recherche au cabinet vancouvérois Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP.

Meris Bray, bibliothécaire de référence à la Faculté de droit de l'Université de Windsor, a converti toute l'information recueillie en page web.

Le texte français suit.

The most recent issue of the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR) is available online. The CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL). It is an open access publication.

You can browse the regular sections of books reviews, bibliographic notes, local and regional updates, as well as news from the UK, the US and Australia.

And be sure to check out the feature articles: 

• "The Law Librarian’s Role in Reconciliation", Alexi Fox, p. 11:
  
  “Reconciliation is an effort that must be taken by all professions if the harm that colonization did to the Indigenous Peoples who reside in what is now Canada is to be truly rectified. For the legal profession, an aspect of reconciliation is recognizing Indigenous law as a legitimate source of law alongside common and civil law. Law librarians have their place in this, as they now have the duty to become familiar with the sources of Indigenous law, and how to find them, if they are to support the legal community in taking this step. To do this requires turning current thinking on its head: customs and traditions need to be embraced as valid sources of law, just as statutes and acts are. While finding these sources will require creativity and ingenuity on the part of the law librarian, it is necessary to do so if they are to take an active role in reconciliation.”
  
  
• "Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: A New Frontier for Law Librarians", Laura Viselli, p. 17:
  
  “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created new tools for legal research and changed the law librarian’s role. In addition, it has been suggested that AI will have a positive effect on Access to Justice (A2J), the lack of which is a significant issue in Canada. Despite this positive viewpoint, biases in systems using AI—be they related to access to resources, user ability, or the inherent biases in data—are likely to perpetuate the digital divide rather than ameliorate it. These biases undermine the ability of the most vulnerable members of society to benefit from A2J tools, despite the fact they are the ones who need them most. Bringing these discussions together demonstrates how law librarians can take their evolving responsibilities and blend their passions for technology and A2J initiatives to ensure these technologies get into the hands of those who are in dire need. Law librarians are among the best suited to stand guard against proponents of AI interventions who will rush to bring products to the market that Canada’s most vulnerable cannot access, afford, or understand. Law librarians can facilitate equitable A2J in Canada using AI by being reliable educators, experienced researchers, meticulous consultants, and relentless advocates for those in most need.”
  

Le numéro le plus récent de la Revue canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (RCBD) est maintenant disponible en ligne. La RCBD est la revue officielle de l'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit. C'est une publication en libre accès.

Vous pouvez consulter les recensions de livres, la chronique bibliographique, les mises à jour locales et régionales de même que les nouvelles des États-Unis, du Royaume-Uni et de l'Australie.

Et ne manquez pas les nouveaux articles de fond:

• "The Law Librarian’s Role in Reconciliation", Alexi Fox, p. 11:
  
  “La réconciliation est un effort qui doit être entrepris par toutes les professions si l’on veut, que le tort causé par la colonisation aux peuples autochtones qui résident dans ce qui est aujourd’hui le Canada, soit vraiment réparé. Pour la profession juridique, il s’agit notamment de reconnaître le droit autochtone comme une source légitime de droit, au même titre que la common law et le droit civil. Les bibliothécaires juridiques ont leur place dans ce processus, car ils ont maintenant le devoir de se familiariser avec les sources du droit autochtone et la façon de les trouver, s’ils veulent aider la communauté juridique à franchir cette étape. Pour ce faire, il faut renverser la pensée actuelle : les coutumes et les traditions doivent être considérées comme des sources de droit valables, au même titre que les lois. Trouver ces sources exigera de la créativité et de l’ingéniosité de la part des bibliothécaires juridiques, mais il est nécessaire de le faire s’ils veulent jouer un rôle actif dans la réconciliation.” [sommaire]
  
  
• "Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: A New Frontier for Law Librarians", Laura Viselli, p. 17:
  
  “L’intelligence artificielle (IA) a créé de nouveaux outils pour la recherche juridique et a modifié le rôle du bibliothécaire juridique. De plus, il a été suggéré que l’IA aura un effet positif sur l’accès à la justice (A2J), dont le manque est un problème important au Canada. Malgré ce point de vue positif, les biais des systèmes utilisant l’IA, qu’ils soient liés à l’accès aux ressources, à la capacité de l’utilisateur ou aux biais inhérents aux données, sont susceptibles de perpétuer le fossé numérique plutôt que de l’améliorer. Ces biais sapent la capacité des membres les plus vulnérables de la société à bénéficier des outils de l’A2J, alors qu’ils sont ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. La réunion de ces discussions montre comment les bibliothécaires juridiques peuvent assumer leurs responsabilités en constante évolution et combiner leurs passions pour la technologie et les initiatives d’accès au droit pour s’assurer que ces technologies se retrouvent entre les mains de ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Les bibliothécaires juridiques sont parmi les mieux placés pour se tenir à l’écart des partisans des interventions de l’IA qui se précipiteront pour mettre sur le marché des produits auxquels les plus vulnérables du Canada ne peuvent avoir accès, qu’ils ne peuvent se permettre ou qu’ils ne peuvent comprendre. Les bibliothécaires de droit peuvent faciliter l’accès équitable à la justice au Canada (aux outils utilisant l’IA) en étant des éducateurs fiables, des chercheurs expérimentés, des consultants méticuleux et des défenseurs acharnés de ceux qui en ont le plus besoin.” [sommaire]