Rule of Law Matters The Law Society of BC

Renowned criminal defence lawyer Marie Henein joins host Jon Festinger to talk about the role of lawyers, what influenced her to be a lawyer, and current threats to democracy and the rule of law that are taking place around the world.

Marie Henein is a senior partner at Henein Hutchison LLP, recognized in Canadian Lawyer as one of the country’s Top Ten Litigation Boutiques. She has been interviewed on CBC’s The National, written for The Globe and Mail, and is a sought-after speaker. She recently released her memoir Nothing But the Truth, which weaves her personal story with her strongly held views on society’s most pressing issues, legal and otherwise.

Marie Henein will be speaking at the Law Society's Rule of Law Lecture on April 4, 2022. For information on the event and how to register, visit our website.

Is everyone equal before the law? In light of the recent surge in anti-Asian racist events in BC, we take this episode to examine how racism was built into our legal system, discrimination in the legal profession and how that impacts everyone.
 
Dr. Carol Liao joins Andrea Hilland, policy lawyer at the Law Society of BC, and host Jon Festinger for a roundtable chat on racism, equity, diversity and inclusion and the rule of law. Dr. Liao recently spoke about her experience as an Asian lawyer in the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyer's documentary "But I Look Like a Lawyer."

Dr. Carol Liao is an associate professor at the Allard School of Law and the UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar of the Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the Sauder School of Business. In 2021, Carol received the Influential Women in Business Award from Business in Vancouver and was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network.

In this new episode, our host Jon Festinger and Michael Lucas, director of policy and planning at the Law Society, take a look back at the first season of Rule of Law Matters and the events that have transpired since the podcast launched in September.  They chatted about how this podcast began, whether the rule of law is a western concept that is applicable world wide, and recent threats to the rule of law in Hong Kong, Poland, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, and right here in Canada. 

If you want to know more about the rule of law, visit the Law Society's website at lawsociety.bc.ca. If you liked today's episode, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. If you have suggestions or comments, please send them to us at podcast@lsbc.org. 

What exactly does a prosecutor do? And whose interests do they represent? Senior prosecutor Christopher McPherson, QC walks us through the role and duties of a prosecutor and the standards that must be met before prosecutors decide to lay a charge. We discuss the importance of prosecutorial independence,  their separation from the investigation and the police, and why prosecutors don't represent the government's or the victims interests. Chris highlights the relationship prosecutors have with criminal defense lawyers and how they also play a key role in the justice system. Lastly, Chris talks about the rare occurrences of wrongful convictions, how new evidence might be discovered and what recourses people have.
Christopher McPherson, QC has been a prosecutor for nearly 22 years and has prosecuted over 40 homicide cases.
If you want to learn more about the rule of law, visit the Law Society’s website at lawsociety.bc.ca. If you liked today’s episode, please subscribe and leave us a review, wherever you get your podcasts. If you have suggestions or comments, send us an email at podcast@lsbc.org 

We welcome Micheal Vonn to talk to us about COVID-19 and returning to the new "normal." Micheal is Chief Executive Officer of PHS Community Services Society, which provides housing, healthcare, harm reduction and health promotion for some of the most vulnerable and under-served people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and Victoria. Prior to that, she served as policy director of the BC Civil Liberties Association for more than 15 years.


Micheal shared with us how she views the rule of law in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. She compared the current situation to the war on terror, and how important it is not to end up in a state of exception, where normal rules don’t apply. We also talked about the lack of a vaccine injury compensation program and the need for data, as well as how important it is for scientists and doctors to have space to debate their ideas. Lastly, Micheal talked about the work of PHS with marginalized groups and described how COVID restrictions impact them.

Please note this episode was recorded on May 17, 2021 and new information has emerged relating to topics referred to in the episode.  In particular, the federal government is now allowing Canadians who have experienced severe adverse reactions to an approved COVID-19 vaccine to apply for compensation. Check your local government's health guidelines for the most updated information.
If you want to learn more about the rule of law, visit the Law Society’s website at lawsociety.bc.ca. If you liked today’s episode, please subscribe and leave us a review, wherever you get your podcasts. If you have suggestions or comments, send us an email at podcast@lsbc.org 

In this episode, Supreme Court of BC's Justice David Crossin  shares with us his insights on the role of judges and the courts in protecting our rights and freedoms.  He touches on how important it is for judges to be independent and impartial, and warns against governments overseas who continue to exercise arbitrary power when they attempt to undermine confidence in the judiciary or when they seek to control judges. He also talks about how the pandemic and new technologies have opened up access to the courts, and whether those changes could continue post-pandemic. 
If you want to learn more about the rule of law, visit the Law Society’s website at lawsociety.bc.ca. If you liked today’s episode, please subscribe and leave us a review, wherever you get your podcasts. We’ve also set up an email to receive your feedback. If you have suggestions or comments, send us an email at podcast@lsbc.org