Posts by Michael Hackl

Your safety or your home: Domestic violence in residential tenancies

February 29th, 2024 by Michael Hackl

What implications does intimate partner violence have on a shared rental lease.

I recently had two different clients approach me with very similar issues – both were non-profit housing providers that wanted advice on how to deal with a situation where there had been incidents of domestic violence in their residential complexes. In such situations, the alleged assailant is typically prohibited from returning to their home, at least temporarily until the charges have been dealt with and they are either found guilty or acquitted. However, the question before me was what could be done for a victim of domestic violence who wanted to remain in their home and wanted the assailant to be removed from the rental unit permanently. In short, I was asked what the housing provider could do to evict the assailant, but only the assailant.

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Jordan Peterson learns that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences

August 31st, 2023 by Michael Hackl

Jordan Peterson disciplinary action for alleged behaviour that violated his code of conduct as a psychologist.

Jordan Peterson speaking. Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

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Whose rights prevail at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights?

December 28th, 2022 by Michael Hackl

A recent case of schools asking that certain material be excluded from their tours at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights raises questions about the limits of rights.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Credit: Brydon McCluskey / Unsplash

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Judicial activism gone wrong: Abortion rights in America

July 4th, 2022 by Michael Hackl

After the majority decision in Dobbs, we should not assume that the right to an abortion is permanently entrenched in Canadian law.

Huge crowd at the Supreme Court the night after the release of Alito’s draft majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade Credit: Victoria Pickering / Flickr

A seismic shift in the law just occurred in the United States, as the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning almost 50 years of precedent set by Roe v. Wade, and setting the table for millions of women to be denied the right to an abortion in the country.

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What happens if you fly a Confederate flag in Canada

March 4th, 2022 by Michael Hackl

Do current Canadian laws consider flying Confederate flags or displaying Nazi symbols as statements that incite and promote hatred?

Some members of the trucker convoy raised Confederate flags during their month long occupation of the National Capital. Credit: Ana Krach | Ottawa Graphics / Pixabay

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What to do if you’re experiencing online harassment (from a legal perspective)

October 5th, 2021 by Michael Hackl

This article was first published on rabble.ca

The internet can be a horrible place, where people can spread conspiracy theories and misinformation and can make defamatory and harassing comments about others. The nature of the internet means its users have the ability to post comments that are then instantaneously distributed around the world with a simple click, which can magnify the impact of online harassment dramatically.

In an increasingly polarized social and political world, the internet has revealed itself to be a useful and common conduit for people who wish to participate in such harmful behaviours. Continue reading “What to do if you’re experiencing online harassment (from a legal perspective)”