Tag: Supreme Court of Canada
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What the Supreme Court ruling means for Indigenous consultation
Must governments in Canada consult with Indigenous communities prior to adopting legislation that could affect their rights? The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the Mikisew Cree case is a perfect example of a situation where the headlines and the trend lines differ in important ways. The headlines suggest the Mikisew Cree lost and that…
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Stunning Victory for Indigenous Nations as Canada Halts Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion
A Canadian court “quashed” approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on Thursday, a major setback for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government agreed to purchase the controversial project from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion Canadian dollars (U.S. $3.5 billion) in May. It’s a stunning victory for Indigenous groups and environmentalists opposed to the project,…
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I am a Mi’kmaq lawyer, and I despair over Colten Boushie
My law school recently organized a panel on Gerald Stanley’s acquittal in the death of Colten Boushie. Timing was such that the talk occurred two days after the Saskatchewan Crown announced it would not be seeking an appeal of the verdict. I was reluctant to participate on the panel, not because I wasn’t interested in…
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Chevron’s Amazon Chernobyl Case moves to Canada
After perpetrating what is probably the worst oil-related catastrophe on Earth — a 20-thousand hectare death zone in Ecuador, known as the “Amazon Chernobyl” — Chevron Corporation has spent two decades and a billion dollars trying to avoid responsibility. In 2011, indigenous and peasant villagers won a $9.5-billion compensation judgment in Ecuador. Chevron, despite accepting…
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Ktunaxa Nation Heads to Supreme Court of Canada
The Ktunaxa Nation is heading to the highest court in Canada in its ongoing efforts to reaffirm the right of Aboriginal Canadians to exercise spiritual practices that are dependent upon sacred sites. On December 1, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear, ‘Ktunaxa Nation Council and Kathryn Teneese, on their own behalf and on behalf…