Across the country students are preparing for mock trials and debates, lawyers and judges are prepping for information sessions, and a lot of people are training for fun runs – it’s Law Day again!
This year the official Law Day is Thursday, April 14, to commemorate the April 17, 1982 birth of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Events are scattered around that date with a few, such as the fun runs in Ottawa and Yukon, waiting for better weather (fingers crossed!) around the end of the month.
Star Wars characters will be taking drama into the mock courtrooms in a number of jurisdictions this year: R. v Luke Skywalker will be tried on April 14 in Yellowknife in front of a local high school class; meanwhile in Edmonton, a mock family court will adjudicate Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia v. Darth Vader. Mr. Vader is back in court in the afternoon as the focus of criminal proceedings. Other celebrity trials taking place in Alberta are Cinderella v. Mrs. Tremaine et al. in Edmonton; Her Majesty v. Elsa the Queen in Lethbridge; and someone from the Despicable Me set (Gru? Dr. Nefario? a minion?) in Fort McMurray. Meanwhile, a Canadian celebrity will go on trial in R. v Moose in Saskatoon.
Nearly every province has something planned for Law Day. Here are some highlights from across the country:
- British Columbia will stage its annual Meet the Chiefs event – the three B.C. Supreme Court judges sit down in a CBC studio with host Ian Hanomansing for a Q&A with students.
- The Regina Public Library will be showing law-themed historical films all month. Admission is free and showings are open to the public.
- A Supreme Court justice will preside over a mock trial presented by two high-school classes in Nunavut, and later speak at a cocktail reception for the local bar.
- Halifax’s new gem of a city library will be the site of presentations on access to justice issues, possibly with a provincial Chief Justice in attendance.
- CBA-NT will participate in on-air interviews with CBC North about different areas and aspects of the law.
- CBA-PEI will put on a wills clinic on collaboration with the branch’s young lawyers and the Community Legal Information Association of PEI.
- The national office has two new legal health check cards, on retirement income and alternative dispute resolution.
Check out the CBA Law Day page, or contact your branch to find out what’s happening in your region and when. And keep an eye out for #cbalawday on Twitter.