Not Reserving Judgment

Canadian Constitution Foundation
Not Reserving Judgment

In each episode of Not Reserving Judgment, Canadian Constitution Foundation Executive Director Joanna Baron, Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn, and Counsel Josh Dehaas walk you though the latest Canadian constitutional law headlines, update you on our litigation, and share our Bad Legal Takes of the Week.

  1. FEB 19

    Episode 74: Feds pour MILLIONS into activist lawsuits. Plus, when can cops snoop on your land?

    On Episode 74, we tell you about a new report on the program doling out taxpayer dollars to activist groups suing the government; we discuss a new election signs bylaw in St. Catharines, Ont.; and we tell you about a Supreme Court case about when police can enter your property. Stories and cases discussed in this week's episode:* St. Catharines bans display of election signs on non-residential property (https://www.chch.com/chch-news/st-catharines-election-signs-bylaw-2025/) (CHCH)* CCF at the Supreme Court in case about police search powers TODAY February 18 (https://theccf.ca/ccf-at-the-supreme-court-in-case-about-police-search-powers-february-18/)* The Court Challenges Program – How your tax dollars fuel social justice activism through the courts: Dave Snow and Ryan Alford (https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/the-court-challenges-program-how-your-tax-dollars-fuel-social-justice-activism-through-the-courts-dave-snow-and-ryan-alford/) (MacDonald-Laurier Institute)* Christine Van Geyn: When governments pay to sue themselves on your dime (https://www.readtheline.ca/p/christine-van-geyn-when-governments) (The Line)* Rubio spars with Brennan over Vance’s Munich speech (https://www.yahoo.com/news/rubio-spars-brennan-over-vance-030700380.html) (The Hill)* Explaining Canada’s Cult of ‘Decolonial Futurity’ to Americans (https://quillette.com/2025/02/17/explaining-canadas-cult-of-decolonial-futurity-to-americans/) (Quillette)* Yarmouth not enforcing new bylaw prohibiting election signs (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/yarmouth-election-signs-municipal-politics-1.5687500)Not Reserving Judgment is a podcast about Canadian constitutional law hosted by Josh Dehaas, Joanna Baron, and Christine Van Geyn.The show is brought to you by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a non-partisan legal charity dedicated to defending rights and freedoms. To support our work, visit theccf.ca/donate.

    47 min
  2. FEB 12

    Episode 73: Is this LBGT advocate really an unbiased expert? Plus, are monks INVADING P.E.I.?

    On Episode 73, we consider Pierre Poilievre's novel interpretation of constitutional rights in relation to fentanyl; we discuss Calgary's attempt to have a questionable LGBT expert give evidence in our bylaw challenge; and we tell you about the monks buying up land in P.E.I.Stories and cases discussed in this week's episode:* Monks, money and the fierce debate over PEI’s scarce land (Monks,%20money%20and%20the%20fierce%20debate%20over%20PEI%E2%80%99s%20scarce%20land)* Government asked to order new investigation into Buddhist land ownership in P.E.I. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-committe-land-holdings-feb-6-2025-1.7452845)* 'A privilege and an honour': Edmonton educator and advocate appointed to Senate (https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/a-privilege-and-an-honour-edmonton-educator-and-advocate-appointed-to-senate/)* Students say they faced discrimination at UNB law school, filing complaints (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/human-rights-complaints-against-unb-law-school-1.7442782)* Supreme Court won't disclose mysterious donor behind expensive gift for chief justice (https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/supreme-court-wont-say-who-paid-for-bust-of-chief-justice)* Pickleball court fight dropped after petitioner's outburst at council meeting (https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/pickleball-court-fight-dropped-after-petitioners-outburst-at-council-meeting-10206837)* Poilievre says the Charter supports locking up drug kingpins without using the notwithstanding clause (https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/pierre-poilievre-fentanyl-kingpins-border)Not Reserving Judgment is a podcast about Canadian constitutional law hosted by Josh Dehaas, Joanna Baron, and Christine Van Geyn.The show is brought to you by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a non-partisan legal charity dedicated to defending rights and freedoms. To support our work, visit theccf.ca/donate.

    46 min
  3. JAN 29

    Episode 72: Are anti-immigrant signs hate crimes? Plus a LOSS in our B.C. vaccine card challenge.

    On Episode 72, we tell you about our loss in a challenge to B.C.'s COVID-19 vaccine card program; we discuss the Supreme Court's decision to hear a legal challenge to Quebec's ban on religious symbols; and we tell you why hate crime charges in St. Albert are unlikely.Stories and cases discussed in this week's episode:* Hamilton leaders denounce ‘dangerous rhetoric’ at Saturday protest near Jackson Square (https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-leaders-denounce-dangerous-rhetoric-at-saturday-protest-near-jackson-square/article_11794bd4-c585-591c-b142-4708f72f9263.html)* Second Cup cuts ties with Montreal franchisee, closes cafés over antisemitic remarks and gesture (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/second-cup-montreal-franchisee-1.7392084)* Kassian v. British Columbia, 2025 BCCA 20 (https://www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/ca/25/00/2025BCCA0020.htm)* No public spitting, drugs, panhandling, feeding birds or feral cats, and protest limits pitched for Edmonton's latest public behaviour rule book (https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/no-public-spitting-drugs-panhandling-feeding-birds-or-feral-cats-and-protest-limits-pitched-for-edmontons-latest-public-behaviour-rule-book)*  ‘Potentially disastrous’: The Hub’s legal experts react to the Supreme Court’s explosive decision regarding Quebec’s secularism law (https://thehub.ca/2025/01/27/politically-explosive-the-hubs-legal-experts-react-to-the-supreme-courts-decision-to-hear-a-legal-challenge-of-quebecs-secularism-law/)Not Reserving Judgment is a podcast about Canadian constitutional law hosted by Josh Dehaas, Joanna Baron, and Christine Van Geyn.The show is brought to you by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a non-partisan legal charity dedicated to defending rights and freedoms. To support our work, visit theccf.ca/donate.

    59 min
  4. JAN 22

    Episode 71: Can Alberta legally secede? Plus, your tax dollars fund pro-carbon tax litigants.

    On Episode 71, we explore the constitutionality of Alberta seceding from Canada, we update you on several of the cases that we're working on, we tell you why Meta's new policy doesn't promote hate speech, and explain how your tax dollars funded pro-carbon tax legal groups.Stories and cases discussed in this week's episode:* Feds Paid Carbon Tax Friends (https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/another-expensive-court-loss-for-anti-vaccine-mandate-lawyer)* Reference re Secession of Quebec, 1998 CanLII 793 (SCC) (https://canlii.ca/t/1fqr3)* Tasha Kheiriddin: Liberal response to Trump tariffs could break the country apart (https://nationalpost.com/opinion/liberal-response-to-trump-tariffs-could-break-the-country-apart)* Interprovincial travel case intervention (Taylor v. Canada) (https://theccf.ca/?case=interprovincial-travel-case-intervention-taylor-v-canada)* Prince Edward Island free expression case (John Robertson) (https://theccf.ca/?case=prince-edward-island-free-expression-case-john-robertson)* CCF to appear at Supreme Court in case about the scope of police search powers (https://theccf.ca/ccf-to-appear-at-supreme-court-in-case-about-the-scope-of-police-search-powers/)* Ward v. Quebec, 2021 SCC 43 (CanLII) (https://canlii.ca/t/jk1tl)Not Reserving Judgment is a podcast about Canadian constitutional law hosted by Josh Dehaas, Joanna Baron, and Christine Van Geyn.The show is brought to you by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a non-partisan legal charity dedicated to defending rights and freedoms. To support our work, visit theccf.ca/donate.

    39 min

About

In each episode of Not Reserving Judgment, Canadian Constitution Foundation Executive Director Joanna Baron, Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn, and Counsel Josh Dehaas walk you though the latest Canadian constitutional law headlines, update you on our litigation, and share our Bad Legal Takes of the Week.

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