On our Season 10 premiere, we chat about activism and social justice law issues, featuring Alexi Wood. Topics:”ag gag” and farm activism; retaliatory litigation; civility in the legal profession; and our Ask-Me-Anything Program. This program contains 30 minutes of substantive content for the Law Society of Ontario’s CPD requirements.
Full Episode (55:57) Download Transcript
⚫ How does the striking down of “ag gag” rules impact the parameters of free speech for protestors? (8:18)
⚫ How can lawyers meaningfully respond to SLAPP suits that are specifically designed to silence the voices of survivors? (18:28)
⚫ What can our profession do to renew a sense of civility and candour? (26:54)
⚫ Our Ask-Me-Anything segment, featuring questions submitted by patrons of the Lawyered community (36:53)
⚫ What are some ways in which lawyers can get involved with legal issues involving social justice, particularly if the lawyer primarily works in a corporate/commercial practice? (37:30)
⚫ How have you found public interest litigation change in the last several years? (40:49)
⚫ Do you foresee any upcoming shifts in the manner in which the law addresses issues of systemic racism? (45:06)
⚫ What are the primary barriers to access to justice for marginalized communities, and how can the legal profession address these challenges? (48:15)
1. Ag Gag and Farm Activism (12:50) Download
– Animal Justice et al. v A.G of Ontario, 2024 ONSC 1753
– Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020
2. Retaliatory Litigation (11:26) Download
– “Thursday Thinkpiece: Suing for Silence : Sexual Violence and Defamation Law” (Slaw) Apr 4, 2024
3. A Return to Civility in the Profession (12:57) Download
– “What happened to the legacy of Nuremberg andthe liberal democratic values we fought theSecond World War to protect?”, Rosalie Abella, The Globe & Mail, Jun 1, 2024
4. Ask-Me-Anything: Social Justice Law (19:01) Download
⚫ What are some ways in which lawyers can get involved with legal issues involving social justice, particularly if the lawyer primarily works in a corporate/commercial practice?
⚫ How have you found public interest litigation change in the last several years?
⚫ Do you foresee any upcoming shifts in the manner in which the law addresses issues of systemic racism?
⚫ What are the primary barriers to access to justice for marginalized communities, and how can the legal profession address these challenges?
About the Guest:
Alexi Wood is the founding lawyer and partner at St. Lawrence Barristers where she represents clients at all levels of courts in Ontario, frequently appearing in the Divisional Court and the Court of Appeal, and she has appeared as counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada on numerous occasions. Her practice includes a wide range of commercial litigation, administrative and regulatory disputes, and professional regulation, both at trial and on appeals. She also acts for clients on tort matters,including issues related to health law, defamation, harassment and privacy including online harassment and non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
Alexi’s passion for social justice and commitment to pro bono work began prior to entering private practice when she was the National Security Project Director for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Alexi is proud to act, on a pro bono basis, for social justice and environmental organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society before various administrative bodies and courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Alexi Wood, St. Lawrence Barristers Toronto Ontario Canada In September 2016, Alexi was invited to be a faculty member in the Vital Voices Justice Institute in Mumbai, India, a training program for judges, police officers, prosecutors and NGO staff members who work in preventing human trafficking and domestic violence.
In 2014, she received the Precedent Setter Award for her work fighting for social justice. Alexi is a member of the Canadian and Ontario Bar Associations, and Ad Idem / Canadian Media Lawyers Association. Alexi is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law where she teaches in both the JD and LLM programs. She is also a co-chair of the University of Toronto Tribunal, a post she has held since the fall of 2019.
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