News 1. Court of Appeal lambastes custody ruling In November 2017, I reported that: In August [2017], Lawrence O’Neil, the Associate Chief Justice of the Family Court, awarded custody of a five-year-old boy to the child’s father, who has a history of domestic violence, even though the father had previously signed away his right to […]
The justice system is destroying an innocent man
Morning File, Thursday, June 7, 2018
News 1. Injustice in Nova Scotia As I reported Tuesday, three Germans got drunk on a flight from Germany to Cuba and caused such a disruption that the flight had to be diverted to Halifax, where the three were arrested. Transport Canada hasn’t yet detailed what exactly happened on the plane, but here in Nova Scotia, […]
The Randy Riley trial: how news media are falling down on the job
Dropping coverage of a court trial mid-trial is a disservice both for readers and for justice.
Last Tuesday, there was dramatic moment in Supreme Court, worthy of its own Law & Order episode. In the course of its prosecution of Randy Riley for the 2010 murder of Chad Smith, the crown called its witness Nathan Johnson. Johnson took the stand and — bam! — said that he, and he alone, killed […]
Dave’s not here: Morning File, Friday, December 8, 2017
News 1. Cannabis in liquor stores The McNeil government yesterday released its cannabis policy: These decisions follow the federal government’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis by July 2018. The key policy decisions on cannabis are: — a legal age of 19 for use, purchase and possession — distribution and sales will be online and in […]
A blast from the past: Morning File, Thursday, November 16, 2017
A blast from the past Rewatching that video, which publicly introduced the Examiner at its launch in 2014, the first thing I notice is how young I was. The second thing I notice is that it’s all about me, and that bothers me. I couldn’t predict then to what extent I could grow this operation, […]
Just OK beer and crappy food: Morning File, Wednesday, September 27, 2017
News 1. Here’s what we need for a great new Mumford Terminal “It’s finally happening,” writes Examiner transportation columnist Erica Butler. “The city has started planning its redo of the ghastly, despised Mumford Terminal.” First, Butler explains, the city must make big decisions on commuter rail and transit lanes in order to get the bus terminal […]
Show us you’re a true hero, Sid: refuse to attend the White House. Morning File, Monday, September 25, 2017
1. The future on the Port of Halifax Former CTV reporter Rick Grant writes: If the Port of Halifax is going to compete in a post-Panamex world, it will need a new, larger container terminal. But a Port Master Plan is delayed, and myriad difficulties are posed by potential new sites for a terminal. That […]
The Summer of Hate: Morning File, Tuesday, June 20, 2017
News 1. Street checks “All Halifax Regional Police officers — from the chief through to new recruits — will receive training in 2018 on fair and impartial policing in order to improve street check practices that disproportionately target black people,” reports Sherri Borden Colley for the CBC: It’s one of several measures the police force is taking, Halifax Regional […]
A wretch like me: Morning File, Tuesday, May 16, 2017
News 1. Bill McEwen Last night, Dartmouth East NDP candidate Bill McEwen abruptly dropped out of the race, issuing this statement: Effective immediately, I have resigned from my position as the NDP candidate for Dartmouth East. I apologize for my past actions and believe that I must be accountable to my community and the residents […]
Court Watch: Jimmy Melvin Jr, William Sandeson, Gabor Lukacs, and a really cool chart
Epic Season Finale Court Watch will take a break for the summer. I’m finally done law school and I’m moving to Wolfville soon for work. Tim says the column may restart in the fall, when he can rope another law student into writing. So that’ll be it for me in the hallowed pages of the...