Current Issue: January 2025
The new year is barely blinking in the cold light of a bright January day and is wondering whether to start wailing uncontrollably or continuing to coo softly. Whether you like the unpredictability of a newborn or not, The Advocate is here to help you start your year with thoughtful comments, contemplations and where necessary … citations. Entre Nous looks at how we treat baby lawyers (and what they might think of us) during the student interview process. Meanwhile, a group of “Newbies” (namely Yun Li Reilly, Connor Bildfell and James Tate) pay tribute to this month’s cover-subject, Madam Justice Mary Newbury, a recent retiree from the BC Cout of Appeal.
From the Peace River District, Fort St. John lawyer, Tyler Holte invites us to question the unquestioned practice of referral fees on commissions in foreclosure proceedings. Vancouver’s Tim Dickson provides us with the highly anticipated second installment on his piece about the Crown’s duty to determine, recognise and respect Aboriginal title, while Victoria’s Hamar Foster, K.C. provides us with the second installment of his article: “The Last Capital Case.” Never one to be outdone, Geoffrey Cowper, K.C. gives us a third installment on delay and timeliness.
News abounds from the BC Law Institute, the CLEBC Society, Courthouse Libraries BC and The Advocate’s publisher, the Vancouver Bar Association. All three of B.C.’s law schools are represented in this issue with news from the Peter A. Allard School of Law, UVic and TRU. Of course, our standard features of those departed and those appointed provide interesting reading for those interested in interesting people. All of this is sandwiched between the Wine Column by guest authors Paul Daykin, K.C. and Bruno De Vita, K.C. and a book review from Anne Giardini, O.C., O.B.C., K.C. of Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm by Adam Dodek.
Our letterbox (yes, we still have one) yielded comments from Ottawa (on pieces of eight) and Whitehorse (on the sad demise of the Whitehorse Star). The Advocate’s community, we are proud to note, is not limited by territoriality. Connor Bildfell makes a second contribution to this month’s edition with a spirited review of the Salem witch trials in Legal Anecdotes & Miscellanea. From Our Back Pages we have pulled an editorial from 1989 which ponders the profession of politics “for which no preparation is thought necessary.” Some things never change. Our theme for Bench & Bar this time around is painting because we thought that would be more fun than watching paint dry.
Somewhere along the way we lost our introductory theme about things that mewl and puke. But the team at The Advocate is proud of our January 2025 little bundle of joy. We hope you enjoy bouncing it on your knee for at least a little while.
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November 14, 2024
The Prime Minister announced the appointment of the Honourable Ronald A. Skolrood, a judge of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Chief Justice Skolrood replaces the Honourable Christopher E. Hinkson, who retired effective May 7, 2024. News Release – click Read next
