By Timon Sisic Ontario’s greenhouse gas cap and trade regime is not clear enough to be called an aggressive step in the right direction on addressing climate change. As it currently stands, the legislation and regulations are an empty shell that gives the appearance of strong leadership on carbon emission reduction without actually giving guidance to […]
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Access to justice through public legal education
Creating an environmental law workshop to encourage public participation in environmental decision-making Access to justice is a recurring theme throughout law school. Through coursework, extracurricular activities, and Osgoode’s Public Interest Requirement, we are introduced to our role as lawyers both within and outside the courtroom and how it implicates access to justice for the clients […]
Lessons from the Past for a Sustainable Future
2015 marked the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, or the “Great Charter”, the foundational document that laid the groundwork for the rule of law and civil liberties in the English-speaking world. Next year, in 2017, the world will mark the 800th anniversary of yet another great charter, perhaps slightly less well-known: the Carta de Foresta, […]
EJS Clinic co-director David Estrin to co-host special climate change litigation events in Oslo
On June 21, 2016, EJS Clinic co-director and CIGI International Law Research Program Senior Research Fellow David Estrin will co-host two special side events on climate change litigation at the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law's annual Colloquium in Oslo, Norway. If you will be in Oslo, check out these important events! Access to Justice in […]
Empowering Youth and Communities through Public Legal Education
I had the honour of interacting with youth from many parts of the world during my extensive teaching and summer camp experience prior to attending law school. I carried my teaching experience forward as a volunteer with the Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) program, which seeks to “provide a positive and engaging exposure to […]
Putting Pipelines to the Test: Incorporating Climate Impacts into the Pipeline Review Process
On January 27 2016, the Liberal Government announced that oil and gas projects under federal jurisdiction will now involve an assessment of upstream greenhouse gas emissions and this information will be made public. “Upstream” effects refer to GHG emissions from oil and gas exploration and production. For projects currently under review, including Trans Mountain Expansion […]
Climate Change Risk Disclosure: A Disruptive Idea
What can a simple sticker possibly do to counter the systemic and intricate causes of climate change? The answer appears to be “lots!” for the right sticker at the right place. As part of the Osgoode Environmental Justice and Sustainability Clinic, I have had the honour of working with the non-profit organization Our Horizon this year. […]
The Importance of Public Participation
Canada has established itself as a powerhouse in diamond production over the last few decades, and is currently the world’s third-largest producer of diamonds. The first economic diamond deposit was discovered in 1991, and three diamond mines are currently operating in the country: Ekati and Diavik in the Northwest Territories, and the Victor open-pit mine […]
Osgoode JD students help rural community challenge wind energy development
[Editor's note: This year five Osgoode JD students--Stephen Gray '16, Imelda Lo, Sabrina Molinari '17, Timon Sisic and Amanda Spitzig '18--volunteered their time and energy as part of the Osgoode Public Interest Requirement to help a rural community group prepare an application for judicial review of a wind energy project proposed for idyllic Prince Edward County, Ontario. Promoting renewable […]
CELA's Theresa McCleneghan speaks on deep geological storage of nuclear waste
On Friday, October 30, 2015, the Osgoode Environmental Justice & Sustainability clinical program, the JD/Master in Environmental Studies Joint Program and the Sustainable Energy Initiative at the Faculty of Environmental Studies are pleased to present a public lecture by the Canadian Environmental Law Association's Executive Director, Theresa McCleneghan, on the perils of Ontario Power Generation's proposal […]
