Appealing Outcomes: A Study for the Overturn Rate of Canada\u27s Appellate Courts

This commentary discusses the rate at which Canada\u27s appellate courts are overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada. By deconstructing the overturn rate, the authors identify and compare various factors that affect the rate at which appeals are pursued, considered, and allowed. The data reveal that decisions from the British Columbia, Quebec, and Newfoundland & Labrador courts of appeal are overturned more often than those from their counterparts. Conversely, the Ontario and Saskatchewan courts of appeal exhibit overturn rates below the national average. The analysis suggests that the underlying drivers giving rise to the unusually high or low overturn rates, however, differ from province to province, and this provides possible avenues for further investigation

Appealing Outcomes: A Study for the Overturn Rate of Canada\u27s Appellate Courts

This commentary discusses the rate at which Canada\u27s appellate courts are overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada. By deconstructing the overturn rate, the authors identify and compare various factors that affect the rate at which appeals are pursued, considered, and allowed. The data reveal that decisions from the British Columbia, Quebec, and Newfoundland & Labrador courts of appeal are overturned more often than those from their counterparts. Conversely, the Ontario and Saskatchewan courts of appeal exhibit overturn rates below the national average. The analysis suggests that the underlying drivers giving rise to the unusually high or low overturn rates, however, differ from province to province, and this provides possible avenues for further investigation

Forfeited: Civil Forfeiture and the Canadian Constitution

The enactment of civil asset forfeiture legislation by Alberta and Ontario in the fall of 2001, followed by the passage of similar legislation in five other provinces, has signalled a dramatic change in the way Canadian constitutional law ought to be understood. This thesis builds on American legal scholarship by highlighting how deficiencies in Canada’s constitutional law could create space for more invasive civil forfeiture statutes. Following a historical overview of forfeiture law in Canada, the thesis (i) examines how the Supreme Court of Canada mischaracterized this legislation as a matter of property and civil rights; (ii) considers whether the doctrine of federal paramountcy should have rendered the legislation inoperable and the consequences of the failure by the Court to do so; and (iii) evaluates iiithe impact of the absence of an entrenched property right in the constitution, in regard to this matter.MAS

Beneficiary-Initiated Modification of Trusts: A Comparative Examination

This paper will explore the differences in Canadian common law and Québec civil law in relation to beneficiary-initiated variation and termination of trusts. Modification in Québec civil law focuses on giving proper effect to the intent of the settlor. This results in a far more restrictive regime than in common law Canada, which focuses on the rights of the beneficiaries. However, a rights-based model that recognizes beneficiary-initiated modification would also be compatible with Québec civil law.Cette section explore la différence entre la common law canadienne et le droit civil québécois en ce qui a trait au droit des bénéficiaires d’une fiducie de la modifier ou d’y mettre fin. Les modifications permises en droit civil québécois visent principalement le respect de l’intention du disposant. Le régime qui en découle est plus restrictif que celui qui a cours dans le reste du Canada, où l’accent est mis sur les droits des bénéficiaires. Il ne serait cependant pas incompatible avec le droit civil québécois d’envisager un modèle fondé sur les droits des bénéficiaires à initier les modifications de la fiducie

Reopening the Langelier—Mignault Debate on Unauthorized Transactions Involving a Minor's Property

Under section 213 C.C.Q., immovables, enterprises, and important pieces of family property belonging to a minor can only be sold in cases of necessity, and only then with prior authorization from the court or the tutorship council. What is the legal status, therefore, of a contract of sale of a minor's property made by his tutor in violation of this provision? This question inspired a vigorous debate in both France and Quebec throughout the nineteenth century. Mignault "settled'' this debate in 1896 by declaring such a contract to be tainted with relative nullity. Now, over a century later, the law's attitude toward the protection of minors has changed significantly, which makes it appropriate to revisit Mignault's thesis. This paper argues that the sanction of relative nullity is inconsistent with both the text and underlying policy objectives of the section, and that an alternative approach must be adopted.Selon l’article 213 C.c.Q., les immeubles, les entreprises et les biens importants à caractère familial appartenant à un mineur ne peuvent être vendus qu’en cas de nécessité et avec une autorisation préalable du tribunal ou du conseil de tutelle. Quel est alors le statut juridique d’un contrat de vente d’un bien appartenant à un mineur faite par son tuteur en violation de cet article ? Cette question a été à l’origine d’un vigoureux débat, en France ainsi qu’au Québec, au cours du 19e siècle. Mignault le trancha en 1896 en déclarant un tel contrat entaché de nullité relative. Aujourd’hui, plus d’une centaine d’années plus tard, la position du législateur à l’égard de la protection des mineurs a beaucoup évolué, ce qui nécessite une réévaluation de la solution apportée par Mignault. Cet article soutient que la sanction de nullité relative va à l’encontre du libellé et des objectifs de l’article 213 C.c.Q. et qu’une approche alternative doit être adoptée

Considering Predictive Factors in the Diagnosis of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in Patients with PI-RADS 3 Lesions

The use of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in conjunction with the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) is standard practice in the diagnosis, surveillance, and staging of prostate cancer. The risk associated with lesions graded at a PI-RADS score of 3 is ambiguous. Further characterization of the risk associated with PI-RADS 3 lesions would be useful in guiding further work-up and intervention. This study aims to better characterize the utility of PI-RADS 3 and associated risk factors in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer. From a prospectively maintained IRB-approved dataset of all veterans undergoing mpMRI fusion biopsy at the Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, we identified a cohort of 230 PI-RADS 3 lesions from a dataset of 283 consecutive UroNav-guided biopsies in 263 patients from October 2017 to July 2020. Clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason Grade ≥ 2) was detected in 18 of the biopsied PI-RADS 3 lesions, representing 7.8% of the overall sample. Based on binomial analysis, PSA densities of 0.15 or greater were predictive of clinically significant disease, as was PSA. The location of the lesion within the prostate was not shown to be a statistically significant predictor of prostate cancer overall (p = 0.87), or of clinically significant disease (p = 0.16). The majority of PI-RADS 3 lesions do not represent clinically significant disease; therefore, it is possible to reduce morbidity through biopsy. PSA density is a potential adjunctive factor in deciding which patients with PI-RADS 3 lesions require biopsy. Furthermore, while the risk of prostate cancer for African-American men has been debated in the literature, our findings indicate that race is not predictive of identifying prostate cancer, with comparable Gleason grade distributions on histology between races