Justice Lorne Sossin on Adjudication in the Time of COVID-19

Stereo Decisis

On this episode of Stereo Decisis, Hilary Young, Robert Danay and Oliver Pulleyblank are joined by Justice Lorne Sossin of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that Canadian courts are navigating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the discussion, Rob mentions:

• A recent article by Chief Justice McLachlin on "Access to Justice in the Time of Social Distancing";
• A tweet by Shannon Salter (Chair of the Civil Resolution Tribunal) about the need for affidavits to be commissioned by a lawyer/notary;
• The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. N.S., 2012 SCC 72 (which concerned the right of witnesses to wear a niqab when testifying in criminal trials);
• The decision of Corbett J. setting the terms of a virtual Zoom proceeding in Ontario v. Ontario Association of Midwives, 2020 CanLII 25862 (ON SCDC); and
• The rebuke by a Florida judge of a lawyer who attended a virtual Zoom proceeding shirtless from bed.

In Obiter Dicta, Justice Sossin recommends Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes and The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, Rob recommends the Dr. Henry Shoe by John Fluevog, Hilary recommends knitting while attending certain online meetings and Oliver recommends the "primitivist" music of John Fahey.

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